AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane warns his side of Durban City confidence ahead of KZN derby

The stage is set for a fiery KwaZulu-Natal derby this weekend at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with AmaZulu hosting Durban City in a clash layered with history, pride, and high stakes.

On paper, AmaZulu boast more Premier Soccer League (PSL) experience and financial muscle, but the reality is that Durban City arrive with momentum, sitting four places above Usuthu on the league table in what is their debut season in the top flight.

AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane admitted on Thursday that his side face a stern test, especially against a Durban team that has looked fearless on the road and dangerous in attack.

“Durban are oozing confidence right now,” Zwane said at the pre-match press conference.

“Our last game was a cup game and we lost, so we obviously want to turn things around. We told ourselves that we have to win our home games, and we are up against a Durban City that is very confident. They have a plan and it’s been working for them.”

Zwane credited Gavin Hunt, the man in the opposite dugout, for his impact in building a competitive side almost overnight.

“It is not easy to start a team from scratch and be in the position that he’s in right now. They are in fourth place, and when you analyse them, you can see they keep things simple but effective. They score goals you can tell come straight out of training ground routines. We need to be well-prepared to keep our record intact at home. So far we’ve played three games here and won them all, and we want to add to that," Zwane said.

For Hunt, who only joined Durban City a few weeks before the start of the season, the formula has been straightforward: keep things simple and create multiple avenues to the goal.

The experienced coach believes the variety in Durban's ability to attack has been key to the side’s early success.

The former Moroko Swallows man has been vocal about "not changing much" since he's arrived but the team can surely feel the gravity of his presence, especially given the ease with which they've made the transition inot the PSL. 

Durban also recently lost technical director Ernt Middendorp, who will no longer be with the side. 

“The secret to any good football team is scoring different types of goals,” Hunt explained.

“If you only score one type, you become limited. I’ve asked the players to think about how we can score in different ways, and in the last couple of games, it worked. But it won’t always, so we’ve got to keep adapting.

“I always say don’t complicate things. We’ve tried to keep it simple and focus on building the right mentality—just one step at a time. In football, if you think you’re too big, it will eat you alive," Hunt said. 

This season AmaZulu boast a perfect home record of 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, yielding 9 points. Overall, they sit on a 3-2-1 record (W-D-L) with 8 goals scored and 9 conceded.

Conversely, newly promoted Durban City have scored ten goals, ranking them among the more efficient units in the league. Their season began with a 2-0 away win on debut, and they recently secured a late 1-0 victory over Chippa. Durban also pulled of a huge upset in the Western Cape, holding Stellenbosch FC to a 0-0 draw. 

With Durban City punching above their weight and AmaZulu determined to defend their fortress, the KZN derby promises all the ingredients of a blockbuster encounter: ambition, rivalry, and two coaches with contrasting philosophies going head-to-head.