Pablo Franco Martin wants AmaZulu to be more aggressive, resilient
AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin has detailed issues to fix after a third successive loss, while Golden Arrows and Royal AM drop points.
AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin is calling for a more resilient and aggressive approach from his team as their difficult start to the Premiership season continues.
Usuthu, currently languishing at the bottom of the league table after three consecutive defeats, displayed defensive fragility once again in their latest outing.
Martins men fell a narrow 1-0 defeat to Marumo Gallants at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday, with Daniel Msendami’s third-minute strike proving decisive.
This latest loss highlights a worrying trend for AmaZulu, who have conceded an average of two goals per game, totalling six in their first three matches – the second-worst defensive record in the league.
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— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) September 28, 2024
Cape Town City and Marumo Gallants get their first wins of the season ✅ pic.twitter.com/HVjbxAsNU6
A huge part of AmaZulu’s make-up of under Martin in the past 12 months has been their defensive capabilities, as they frequently drew games they would ordinarily have lost. However, this season has seen a stark contrast.
Now with his back to the wall, the Spanish-born coach has his work cut out for him during the international break.
“It’s a matter of working on the psychological aspect of everyone because we’re not used to losing three games in a row,” he explained after his side’s defeat to Bahlabane Ba Ntwa.
“We need to recover the defensive performance that we used to have last season. Sometimes those duels and actions were weak, and it was not necessarily a matter of organisation.
“We need to work more on the mental side, be more aggressive and try to defend (with) a different mentality, and be more resilient and a little bit more competitive.
“On the ball, we need to keep insisting on the things we have been doing, and keep looking for solutions to give the players the accuracy we are looking for in the chances we’ve been missing.”
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Sekhukhune ensure the points stay at home for them this afternoon.
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Usuthu will have at least another two weeks before they take to the field in the Carling Knockout Cup, giving Martin a chance to reorganise his charges.
From one KZN struggler to another. Golden Arrows have been missing the mark recently after a flying start to the new campaign.
Abafana Bes’thende have suffered back-to-back defeats to newly promoted Magesi FC and Sekhukhune United.
After their two opening wins against Stellenbosch and Marumo Gallants, it appeared as if head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza had finally found the formula.
With the help of coaching recruit Kagiso Dikgacoi, Arrows looked like a more balanced side, but a packed schedule of four games in the past 10 days seems to be taking its toll on this youthful side.
Royal AM kept up their unbeaten start to the season as they secured a fourth consecutive draw against Magesi FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Head coach John Maduka’s men currently occupy a top-eight position going into the second international break of the 2024/2025 season.