New AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin have vowed to turn the Durban club into a force FILE - New AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin have vowed to turn the Durban club into a force. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Durban — New AmaZulu coach Pablo Martin has promised to make the club a major force within South African football.
At 91-years-old, Usuthu are the oldest club in the South African top-flight. However, they have failed to do anything of note in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era, having last won a major trophy when the late Clive Barker led them to the Coca-Cola Club in 1992.
“I have the intention of making history by bringing the team back to the place it deserves. To make everyone, especially the fans and people in the club proud,” said Martin.
Since acquiring the ownership of the club in 2020, Usuthu Chairman Sandile Zungu has made no secret of his desire for the club to regularly challenge for major trophies and to qualify for continental competition by being one of the top three finishers in the league. Zungu has also proven to be a trigger happy boss as Martin becomes their fourth full-time coach under the ownership of Martin, following in the footsteps of Romain Folz, Brandon Truter and Benni McCarthy.
This will be Martin’s first ever assignment in the South African top-flight. However, armed with a UEFA Pro Licence and experience as an assistant coach at Real Madrid and former head coach at La Liga side Getafe, Usuthu will hope to benefit from his experience of having previously worked in world-class setups. He also says that he has been a follower of South African football for a long time.
“I have been watching the PSL for a long time. I think it is around four of five years now. There are also some players who have played in that league that I have coached before. I often talk to them and discuss the level there. I know it is a competitive league and any team can beat anyone,”said Martin.
Martin’s first priority will be to reinstall confidence into an AmaZulu side which had an underwhelming past season, having finished 12th in the league and just three points clear of the relegation zone.
He will have to rebuild his side with a lot of departures and new arrivals expected before the start of the new campaign. However, given the fact that most South African top-flight teams bar Mamelodi Sundowns are in a rebuilding phase, it is possible for him to actually transform the side into a top local team come next season with smart and strategic decision-making.
IOL Sport
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