Arthur Zwane’s AmaZulu are title challengers too – not just Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns
Arthur Zwane's AmaZulu will move to the top of the Betway Premiership if they beat Orlando Pirates on Tuesday evening.
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AmaZulu have quietly positioned themselves as one of the most compelling stories of the season, forcing their way into a title conversation that has traditionally excluded them.
While much of the focus has remained on the usual heavyweights, Usuthu have built momentum through consistency, intensity and a clear tactical identity, proving they are more than just early-season pace-setters.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Mamelodi Sundowns are not running away with the league title.
The Brazilians are still well on course of winning a ninth straight league title, but they have challengers with 15 games left to play.
Much of the noise has been focused around Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, and rightly so. The two clubs have the biggest support bases in South African football, and have been playing some good football.
Because they have the most supporters in the country, they get the most attention. Two clubs that have been overlooked, that are firmly involved in the title race are AmaZulu and Sekhukhune.
Under Arthur Zwane, who was fired by Chiefs two seasons ago, AmaZulu play a high-intensity and aggressive style of football that can trouble many teams. Zwane likes his teams taking advantage open spaces, while also employing a high line of defence.
They have been difficult to live with this season, and Zwane has continued to show time and time again that Chiefs were wrong to fire him.
On Tuesday, they are up against Orlando Pirates, and the winner of that game will surge to the top of the Betway Premiership.
Yet beyond the familiar spotlight of Soweto and Pretoria, the title race has quietly taken shape elsewhere – driven by teams who have gone about their business with far less noise, but no less ambition.
What this season has done, more than anything, is remind everyone that the Betway Premiership is at its best when the title race is crowded and unpredictable. Sundowns may still be favourites, but the presence of genuine challengers has injected urgency, belief and real jeopardy into the run-in.
With heavyweight clashes looming and margins so fine, every result now carries extra weight – and if the early signs are anything to go by, this could be a title race that goes right down to the wire.
IOL Sport