Why AmaZulu FC released 17 players: A calculated reset for the future

AmaZulu FC say their decision to release 17 players was a calculated reset to reverse a worrying decline and back head coach Arthur Zwane’s vision to return the club to the top.

Speaking at the launch of the 2025 KZN Premier’s Cup this week, club spokesperson Philani Ndlela said the mass clear-out was not just a reaction to recent results, but a strategic move shaped by where the team wants to go.

“If you look at the last five seasons, the club finished inside the top eight three times and twice outside. We played one cup final, which we lost, and you can see that in the last five seasons we did not do as well as we expected – in as much as we got an opportunity to play in the CAF Champions League,” said Ndlela.

“But our graph kept going down instead of going up, so it was important for us to have a turnaround.”

AmaZulu ended the 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign in sixth place, securing a spot in the MTN8. 

While that finish could be seen as progress, Ndlela insisted it wasn’t enough for a club with ambitions of lifting trophies.

The arrival of Arthur Zwane last season — initially as co-coach alongside Vusumuzi Vilakazi — marked the beginning of that turnaround. 

Vilakazi has since departed, and Zwane has been trusted to lead a long-term project centred on youth and tactical evolution.

“When we saw coach Arthur Zwane bringing in new and fresh ideas in the team, it was important for us to go back to the drawing board to bring in younger players that are going to help us get back to the top,” Ndlela explained.

Alongside Zwane, AmaZulu have bolstered their technical team by roping in Simo Dladla as an assistant coach. 

Dladla recently made headlines after guiding Durban City to the top flight and is seen as a forward-thinking football mind who complements Zwane’s approach.

Despite the large-scale changes, the Usuthu camp remains calm. Ndlela emphasised that there is no panic behind the scenes, and that the leadership believes in the path the club is taking under Zwane.

“To be honest with you, there’s no anxiety in the team. There’s a lot of maturity in the technical team and the management of the club, and that’s why we have full confidence in coach Zwane and what he’s doing.”

AmaZulu will give fans a first look at their revamped squad during the 2025 edition of the KZN Premier’s Cup, as they prepare for a season that could define the club’s long-term future.

Having hit reset, the pressure will now be on Zwane and his new-look team to steer the club’s graph in the right direction — upward.