Arthur Zwane and Papi Zothwane serve and volley over unwanted favourites tag ahead of Nebank Cup Last 16

In a press conference previewing the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 midweek, AmaZulu FC coach Arthur Zwane and his counterpart Papi Zothwane, might as well have been handed rackets and a tennis ball and left on court to decide who gets the unwanted ‘favourites’ tag ahead of their encounter at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex in Richards Bay on Friday night.

The mouth-watering clash kicks off at 7pm.

Both sides advanced through tough Round of 32 clashes; Bay winning on penalties after drawing 3-3 against Siwelele FC in a dry Bloemfontein, and AmaZulu winning 2-1 against Polokwane City in the Polokwane Highveld.

Ahead of the Friday encounter, Zwane was the first to serve away the favourites’ tag, giving it to Bay because of their unfamiliar pitch. In fact, if Zwane had his way, the Natal Rich Boys would play their Premiership matches elsewhere.

“It is not easy to play there (at Umhlathuze). A lot of teams go there and find it difficult to play their normal game — where you want to keep the ball and attack at the right time. The pitch doesn’t allow you to do that, so you end up playing like the opposition because they have mastered the surface better than us (the other 15 teams),” Zwane said.

“Besides matchday, maybe they even sometimes train there. I actually don’t think it should be used for these games, but unfortunately, it is happening. I am not complaining, because everyone has to go there.”

Zothwane, playing the receiver, allowed just one bounce and hit back highlighting AmaZulu's top5 position as their merger of superiority — though he did not deny that their pitch has indeed become a ‘no-go zone’ for their PSL opponents.

“They (Zwane and AmaZulu) are the favourites considering their position on the log. Yes, we can be favourites based on our last game, but anyone can win the match. For us, we most definitely want to win, especially considering that we are playing at home,” said Zothwane.

Zwane hit back from a different angle, underlining that Bay’s strength is not only their difficult pitch but also their current form.

“I am not playing games when I say Richards Bay are favourites as they have been doing very well,” Zwane said.

“If you look at where they are and how they’ve been performing lately, you’ll see what I am talking about. If you watched the game against Chippa United, tactically, they could have easily scored three goals in 10 minutes. The game before that, they scored three goals away from home in Bloemfontein which is a very difficult field.”

Zwane himself cautious not to downplay his own side's progress.

“We have shown character of late. We have been showing good signs, though we are a work in progress,” Zwane said. “We are looking to improve in every game. Hopefully, we’ll treat the upcoming game with respect and reach the next round. But it won’t be easy, just like the last game in Polokwane.”

Ultimately, it seemed that whoever gets knocked out on Friday will have no trouble lending their support to the other side, as they are bound by provincial pride.

“One would be happy (if the Nedbank Cup were won by a KZN team). People in KZN love their teams, and as a KZN person, you want to see your teams lifting the trophy,” said Zothwane.

“We all want one of our teams to lift the trophy to end the trend of Gauteng teams always dominating. As coaches (based in KZN), it does not sit well with us. I hope the players share the same sentiments and fight for KZN. Personally, I would like to see the cup coming to the province.”