Amazulu coach defends his players over alcohol abuse allegations.

Allegations recently surfaced of a strong drinking culture at Dstv Premiership side, Amazulu FC. But their coach, Ayanda Dlamini says those allegations come from bitter individuals.

This is after former Amazulu coach, Brandon Truter confirmed as reported by SABC Sport, that indeed, players used to come to training drunk at Usuthu.

"People who are saying these things are bitter," said Dlamini as quoted by SABC Sport. https://www.sabcsport.com/soccer/news/brandon-truter-lifts-lid-on-drinking-culture-allegations-at-amazulu

"Do you think these players would have played like this[winning against Sekhukhune] if they were drinking during the week or the night before? I am the coach right now, and if these things are being said I have to protect my players because I need them – they can’t speak for themselves." 

ALSO READ: https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/04/fortunately-we-didnt-bleed-lot-around.html?m=1

"The things being said can destroy their careers. Some people might say they will never hire players from AmaZulu ever again. There are still youngsters here who could still go overseas, and if people are saying this…what does it do to their image? If you have a problem with the team, address it respectfully. If you say they are drunkards, maybe they were getting drunk with you while you were here." 

Player power has also emerged as something big at Amazulu, which is allegedly one of the reasons Romain Folz lost his head coaching position.

Amazulu's next match will be against champions, Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday 03 May at Princess Magogo Stadium, kick-off is at 19:30.

Was Folz undermined at AmaZulu?

Image credit: AmaZulu social media

Romain Folz as head coach of Amazulu is now history. The former Marumo Gallants failed dismally to change the club's fortunes following the sacking of Brandon Truter early in the season.

AmaZulu are currently 12th on the Dstv Premiership table, just four points above the relegation zone, not a position Sandile Zungu expected his club to be in at this stage of the season, especially after showing his trust to the 32-year-old tactician by handing him a three-year contract, despite positive results not forthcoming.

Zungu has proven himself to be a fair man, but something unfair seems to have happened inside the club's dressing room, involving senior players, that has seen Folz losing his head coaching job.

Not so long ago, a story broke in the media that Lehlohonolo Majoro, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, and Keagan Buchanan were leaving Usuthu, allegedly due to their negative influence in the dressing room.

A few days later, Majoro was said to be staying put.

And then the story got better, Folz, who was under the microscope from the football fraternity due to a streak of poor results, was redeployed to a technical advisory role to the Chairman, that is despite the Chairman himself having told the media that Folz was not going anywhere, meaning he was going to stay on as the club's head coach!

Wait for it, the story gets even better! Now Ramahlwe Mphahlele, who was all but out of the door at Usuthu, is allegedly back in the club! That is according to a report by Sabc Sport. https://www.sabcsport.com/football/news/ramahlwe-mphahlele-returns-to-amazulu-following-romain-folz-redeployment

What is all with the U-turns at AmaZulu?

The happenings at the Durban side have done nothing except to raise suspicions about player power prevailing at the club.

Could it be possible that Folz, a 'young' tactician was undermined inside Usuthu's dressing room, which is full of players who are actually his seniors?

Also Read: https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/04/if-home-was-football-club-it-would-be.html?m=1

Or was it a case of him being so bad that the players lost all faith in him and his tactics?

Only the fly in Usuthu's dressing room wall knows the truth. And time, as it always tend to do, will reveal the truth, as we wait. 

If home was a football club, it would be AmaZulu FC for Manqoba Mngqithi.

Image: Mamelodi Sundowns Social Media. 

The Folz hopes raised by Romain's appointment at AmaZulu earlier in the season have turned into nothing but a pipe dream.

The 32-year-old French tactician was recently relieved of his head coaching duties at Usuthu, redeployed as a technical advisor, with former striker, and Folz's assistant, appointed as the club's interim coach until the end of the season.

With Folz out of the picture, sort of,  and Usuthu probably looking for a suitable replacement, there is a coach who might just be what the doctor ordered for the KZN side, and that is non other than Mamelodi Sundowns third assistant, Manqoba Mngithi.

Mngqithi's contract with Downs will be over in May, meaning the experienced mentor might be open to a new challenge.

Having spent most of his time at the Brazilians under the shadow of Pitso Mosimane, and currently under Rulani Mokwena, Mngqithi might relish an opportunity to finally stand on his own two feet once again.

But what would be the pros and cons of Mngqithi joining Usuthu?

The pros...

Besides the obvious fact as stated above, that of Mngqithi getting an opportunity to blaze his own trail at Usuthu, there is more to the possible union.

Sandile Zungu has proven beyond any reasonable doubt his ambition to take Usuthu to the dizzying heights of South African football.

With Mngqithi's years of experience and knowledge of the game, Zungu's ambitions would have more chances to see the light of day than not.

Having spent years at Sundowns, a team that has been dominant in the local game, Mngqithi has learned enough to help realize Zungu's vision for AmaZulu.

On top of the above mentioned, Mngqithi is a proponent of good football, something that can help in turning the pride of KZN into an attractive side to watch, bringing more fans to the stadium.

Lastly, the experienced mentor is known to be some kind of a strict disciplinarian.

With rumors of Folz losing the dressing room, which ultimately led to his redeployment, Mngqithi is the man who can get the Usuthu house back in order, without much of a hassle.

Also Read: https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/04/what-mamelodi-sundowns-can-expect-from.html?m=1

And the cons....

Sundowns are a dream to be part of at the moment for any coach, even as an assistant.

With the trail blazing club flexing their muscle both locally and the continent, Mngqithi might be tempted to stay on and continue to be part of the history making Brazilians.

Job security and a positive working environment are hard to come by in the world of football, and that is exactly what Mngqithi has at Downs.

Leaving for AmaZulu might come with obvious risks involved with joining a new club, like things not working out and the former teacher finding himself in the growing pool of unemployed coaches.

Is he willing to take that risk? Only the end of May will tell. But Mngqithi and AmaZulu do look like a match made in a football heaven. 

A three-year contract extension might have given Romain a Folz sense of job security.

 

Former AmaZulu head coach, now Technical Advisor, Romain Folz. Image: Twitter.

Just a week or two after AmaZulu FC Chairman, Sandile Zungu backed underperforming Romain Folz in the media, saying the coach was not going anywhere, it seems Zungu has had enough of the poor results, and decided to appoint Ayanda Dlamini as interim coach until the end of the season, with Folz assuming the role of technical advisor, not to the coach, it must be clarified, but technical advisor to the Chairman!

“The game is result driven and with six matches to go occupying 12th position, it is clear the performance is not fitting of a club like AmaZulu Football Club,” read part of AmaZulu’s official statement.

“The decision we have taken is to appoint Ayanda Dlamini as caretaker Coach until the end of the season. His mandate is to fight for the remaining 18 points that are on offer.

“Dlamini has the huge task to prepare the team for the upcoming match against Cape Town City this weekend.

“With Folz, there are many aspects that we want to continue with from him. I have retained him as a technical director, primarily to advise the President on the technical aspects of vision 2032 until the end of the season.”

Folz, who never really hit the ground running at Usuthu, vacates the coaching seat with the club sitting 12^th on the Dstv Premiership table with 28 points from 24 matches.

AmaZulu have won only two of their last 10 league games, a 4-0 win against Kaizer Chiefs, which was seen as a sign of rejuvenation for the Durban side, and a 2-0 victory over Chippa United. Other than that, Folz guided Usuthu to four losses and four draws.

Despite a good defensive record, with an average of 0.92 goals concede per match in the league, it is in attack that the club has struggled, they average 0.92 goals scored per match, which has seen them finding the back of the net only eleven times in their last 10 matches. The fact that AmaZulu have failed to score in 42% of their league games is a huge red flag, which comes from their inability to create good scoring opportunities, with an average xGF of 1.10 per match, according to FootyStats.Org.https://footystats.org/clubs/amazulu-fc-1279 

In a nutshell, nothing warranted keeping Folz as the head coach of the club, and it will be interesting to see how the players react to the coaching changes. With a positive response, Usuthu can find themselves inside the top eight come the end of the season.