AmaZulu FC head coach Arthur Zwane has delivered a scathing assessment of striker Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya, branding him a “lazy thinker” despite his goal securing a 1-1 draw against Orlando Pirates at Kings Park Stadium on Wednesday night.
Usuthu came from a goal down to force a share of the spoils against a Pirates side eager to maintain their winning start to the 2026/27 season, having defeated Milford FC 2-0 in their opening match of the campaign in the Betway Premiership.
The Soweto giants drew first blood in the seventh minute through Tshepang Moremi, who capitalised on an AmaZulu defensive error to find the back of the net.
Following the early goal, Pirates created a wealth of chances, but their attacking players lacked the finishing instinct to bury them.
AmaZulu punished the Sea Robbers for those missed opportunities when the talented Zimbabwean international scored the equaliser from the penalty spot.
WHAT ARTHUR ZANE SAID ABOUT THANDOLWENKOSI NGWENYA
Despite scoring the crucial goal, the 23-year-old received a sharp lashing from his coach, who labelled him “lazy.”
Ngwenya has been a key player for Zwane since arriving at AmaZulu in July 2025 and has already netted four goals in three matches across all competitions this season. In the previous campaign, he finished as the club’s top scorer with eight goals in 20 appearances across all competitions, despite missing a large portion of the season with a severe foot injury.
However, Zwane made it clear that goals alone are not enough.
“Firstly, we regained possession, and as an offensive player you need to pass and make a forward movement. He makes a four-metre pass and then stops, so what must Athini [Maqokolo] do with the ball?” Zwane told SuperSport TV.
“When you are an offensive player, you think about going forward; you pass and go because, as a striker, you want to see goals, but now if you become lazy, I have a problem with you.
“So I was telling him [Ngwenya] that I don’t deal with lazy players. Yes, you can score for us, but if you don’t work off the ball and work for us to create goals, then it’s not going to work because in this league, you need sharp shooters, and he’s got the potential to do that, but sometimes he becomes a lazy thinker.”
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