AmaZulu and Sekhukhune United have been in tight competition for a league position since the start of the season.
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For a team like AmaZulu, with its level of resources and buying power, to compete against clubs ten times its strength is something to be proud of, according to manager Arthur Zwane.
While it may not be the desired result, as they look set to miss out on CAF football next season, Zwane has made peace with finishing fourth, which has always been his employers’ target.
Usuthu find themselves in a bittersweet position at the moment after Kaizer Chiefs embarked on a ruthless winning streak recently and assumed third place. The top three finishers in the league qualify for CAF tournaments, while fourth place feels like having won nothing at all.
But that is not how Zwane sees it. It is unlikely that AmaZulu will move up over Kaizer Chiefs to third position, especially since Chiefs have a game in hand. The teams below AmaZulu are off the pace by around seven to eight points — giving Usuthu enough of a cushion to defend their position.
Zwane said the team lost a few players crucial to their set-up and had to adapt without some of the firepower they once possessed. AmaZulu have a home match against Chippa United up next, where they will look to extend the gap between them and Sekhukhune United.
"I think the last thing we can do right now is to start doubting ourselves or asking ourselves how we got to fourth. If we look at the squad value, we are probably at number 11. But we have been competing with teams that went to the market and bought expensive players," Zwane said..
"So, I appreciate these boys. The club should appreciate these boys. Going forward, we'd like to win all our remaining games because we don't know what will happen. We cannot rely on other teams to do the business for us. We need to handle our own business, and we are capable of doing that."
The Betway Premiership title race has reached a fever pitch, with Orlando Pirates currently leading the pack on 58 points after 25 matches. Hot on their heels are Mamelodi Sundowns, who sit just one point behind with a crucial game in hand, setting the stage for a dramatic final sprint.
While the giants battle for the crown, the race for CAF qualification is equally intense. Kaizer Chiefs have surged into third place with 46 points, following a rejuvenated run of form. This leaves AmaZulu and Sekhukhune United scrapping for the fourth-place "best of the rest" spot, as the gap to the top three begins to widen in the closing weeks of the season.