AmaZulu starlet Athini Maqokola.
Image: Backpagepix
AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane could not help but sing the praises of his young forward Athini Maqokola after his masterful performance against Chippa United on Saturday evening in Durban.
Zwane appeared zen-like at the press conference following his team's 5-1 victory over Chippa United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Zwane acknowledged his team could have won the match 8-1 had they secured all the chances created.
Nevertheless, he was happy with the five goals. He said the win was especially sweet because of the 3-0 hiding at the hands of Orlando Pirates, from which the team needed to recover.
Maqokola, the 22-year-old forward, played one of his best matches of the season, slotting home two goals to give his team the edge at home.
Maqokola kept firing through cracks in the Chippa defence, asking questions of a weak backline. His speed, quick passing, and sharp thinking made him a hassle for Chippa the entire evening until he was substituted.
Hendrik Ekstein, AmaZulu's usual No 9, was out with an ankle injury, and Zwane said they were pleased with their replacement.
"We needed that energy when setting defensive traps and the right attacking energy from our nine, and I think the choice we made was correct. Because we knew Chippa's energy would die after 30 minutes," Zwane said.
"Our players executed the plan very well. Even after we conceded the first goal, I wasn't panicking at all. I knew we were going to come back.
"My only worry was whether or not we took our chances. And this is one of those games where we created a lot of chances. I'd say more than enough to win by at least seven or eight goals. So, I think we were not clinical.
"But if there's a player I'm happy for, it's Athini (Maqokola). He has been the main culprit for us for the last five games," Zwane added.