AmaZulu FC coach Arthur Zwane has singled out a key element behind Usuthu’s strong start to the 2026/27 season, highlighting the importance of building character and a winning mindset.
Usuthu secured their fifth win of the campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Polokwane City FC at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, heading into the FIFA international break on high spirits.
With only one defeat in seven matches, AmaZulu sit third in the Betway Premiership on 16 points, trailing leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by four points having played a game less. Usuthu lie three points behind second-placed Orlando Pirates and hold a three-point cushion over fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs, setting the stage for a thrilling title race.
Reflecting on their impressive run of form, Zwane admitted that teaching his players to embrace resilience and “sweat blood” has been essential to grinding out maximum points in difficult matches.
‘SWEAT BLOOD’: ARTHUR ZWANE ON BUILDING A WINNING MENTALITY AT AMAZULU FC
“You build character. Sometimes these players don’t have that characteristic of winning, and they are used to just playing for the sake of playing,” said Zwane.
Zwane made reference to the 1-0 wins against Polokwane City and Marumo Gallants as some of the games that needed players to have a strong character.
“The character you build becomes the survival of the fittest. You must have seen today [Saturday] and even last week [against Gallants]; we won those two games because we had the character and players who were more than willing to go the extra mile to make sure we got maximum points.
“The second half [against PLK City] was very poor, we played in patches but what was key was that we should score and make sure you manage the game and don’t concede, especially when you are playing away,” he added.
“So I must give credit to all the players that went in there and gave their all. At the end of the day, we have to sweat blood sometimes in order for us to get maximum points.”
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