AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy is eager to make history in continental football.
Usuthu, as they are commonly referred as, finished as runner ups in the South African league and qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for the first time in their 89 years of existence.
They made one more step and progressed to the group stages, in their maiden appearance.
After taking the reigns as new owners last October, AmaZulu president, Sandile Zungu declared the club’s ambitions of competing in the top four of the South African league, McCarthy did one better and led the team to it’s first Champions League group stages.
AmaZulu become just the seventh South African side to progress beyond the preliminary stages of the continental club competition. Orlando Pirates, Manning Rangers (now defunct), SuperSport United, Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs), Kaizer Chiefs and 2016 winners, Mamelodi Sundowns are the other clubs to have reached the group stages of the competition.
-Journey to the group stages-
AmaZulu held their own in the first preliminary round winning 3-2 on aggregate over Malawi’s Big Bullets.
The second preliminary round was against five times Champions League winners, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe. The South African side were held to a 0-0 draw at home in the first round with the away clash ending 1-1 to which saw the South Africans booked a place in the group stages on the away goal rule.
“When I joined the club, I was very ambitious. I said my goal and my aim was to unsettle the top four in the league. I think it was possible with the mentality, the mindset that I have, the winning mentality and the passion. That is what I instilled in the players, we sort of just went for it,” McCarthy told Cafonline.com.
He added; “I am the easiest guy to play for. I am the nicest guy you can get but just do your job and you’ll be fine. We did that and we had eminent success. We said now that we reached second place and we’re into the CAF Champions League knockout stages, why stop there? We continue with that mindset that we want to achieve. We want to be among the best teams on the continent.”
Hoping for favourable draw
A Uefa Champions League winner with FC Porto, McCarthy is hoping for a favourable draw on December 28.
“We wanted to qualify as well for the Champions League group stages, We finished second after such a hard-fought year and season in the PSL. We have achieved that and have qualified for the group stages and now we are hoping for a nice favourable draw with teams that we can go and compete with,” the tactician said.
“We are not going to shame ourselves. In the group stages, there is everything to play for. You know, you want to go all the way. In any competition you’re in, you want to win it. AmaZulu (are) sleeping giants and we’re starting to wake up,” added McCarthy.
Source: CAF