AmaZulu captain Makhehleni Makhaula has warned his players that there is no place to hide and they real need men who will go out and fight against Kaizer Chiefs.
Usuthu will host Chiefs in the MTN8 second leg semi final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday (15:30).
The Durban-based club have a slight edge in hosting this game, having scored an away goal in the first leg at FNB Stadium.
Gabadinho Mhango scored the all-important goal, before he was sent off after he had his say to the referee along with Veluyeke Zulu.
However, Zulu and the Malawi international are back. Mhango is one player that Makhaula will rely on having also scored in the midweek draw against Maritzburg United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Mhango, who has won the Wafa Wafa twice in his career, wears his heart on his sleeve and battles a lot with opposition.
“There’s no space to hide now,” said Makhaula.
“We need real men on Sunday because we are playing against Chiefs, who have a lot of supporters in Durban. If we can become scared and suffer from stage fright, then it’s going to be a problem. So we really need men who will go there and fight because we do create chances.
“Chiefs are not playing so well and you saw them against TS Galaxy on Wednesday they drew.”
On Wednesday, AmaZulu coach Romain Folz elected to leave Makhaula on the bench, saying he didn’t want him to play because he knew he was going to get a yellow card since he has accumulated three.
As the central midfield it is an area of retrieving balls and breaking the play, Makhaula’s teammate – Tercious Malepe took his place. He didn’t last the entire game as he was sent off, which Folz was proven right not to include his lynch pin Makhaula to start.
“He (Folz) saved me because I have three yellow cards,” explained Makhaula.
“It was possible that I would have gotten a yellow (and been suspended). Now I’m fresh and ready for the Chiefs.”
AmaZulu are in the semi final of the Wafa Wafa Cup for the first time since the 2009/10 season, where they lost to eventual winners Golden Arrows.
However, the club has not won a major trophy in the PSL era and Makhaula says it is time for the new stars to be born and not all the time people refer AmaZulu to the side of 1992 that, interestingly, beat Chiefs 3-1 in the Coca-Cola Cup final at the old FNB Stadium.
“I have told them that we need to make our own history,” said Makhaula, who won the Nedbank Cup with Free State Stars in the 2017/18 season, beating Chiefs in the semis, leading fans to damage the Durban venue.
“I need to make history to say, there was a captain of the club called Makhaula who lifted the MTN8. They know how much we need this trophy and they know it is do or die on Sunday.”
