Vilakazi: Cup Success Key To Amazulu Caf Dreams

AmaZulu co-coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi said that ambitions to play continental football will fuel his teams Nedbank Cup journey. Usuthu kicked off their Ke Yona Cup campaign with a thumping 5-1 victory over ABC Motsepe side Mighty Eagles on Tuesday.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit joined fellow provincial counterparts Durban City in the round of 16. While the Royal AM-Milford fixture remains in limbo, and with Golden Arrows and Richards Bay eliminated, Usuthu remain the most realistic chance of breaking a 16-year trophy for KZN.

Usuthu also harbour ambitions of breaking their own silverware hoodoo, one that has stretched over three decades.

The club last won a cup in 1992, when the late Clive Barker led the team to a famous 3-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the Coca-Cola Cup final at FNB Stadium. Since then, AmaZulu have lost in two finals to Wits in the Nedbank Cup in 2009-10, and 2022s defeat to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

In the 2021/2022 season under former coach Benni McCarthy, Usuthu reached the CAF Champions League group stages.