AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu has announced the club will continue with Spanish Pablo Franco Martin, targeting continental success next season in the form of CAF Champions League.
Usuthu finished in a low 11th position in the 2023/24 DStv Premiership under Spanish mentor Pablo Franco Martín, just six points above the relegation zone.
The KwaZulu-Natal-based side reached the final of the MTN8 competition in 2022/23, narrowly losing 1-0 to Orlando Pirates, and made it to the last four of the Carling Knockout Cup last season with their progression stopped by TS Galaxy.
Speaking to the media, Zungu was adamant that they would reach their goal as a club by conquering South African football before taking on the rest of the continent for Africa’s premium club competition.
“We now have ‘Cijimpi’, Pablo Franco Martin, who is our head coach and we believe we have the right man for the job,” he told the media.
“If we look at last season, his first season in charge, we had 36 points at the end of the season, of which we could’ve added easily another 14 points, if we had been officiated more justly.
“if we had maximum points, it would’ve been easy to be a top-four team. It is for that reason that we said we have the right person for the job and we want him to continue in charge.
“It’s his second season in the DStv Premier Soccer League and he now has even better requirements to accomplish what we want him to accomplish.
“I want a top four finish this season [2024/25]. In actual fact, next season [2025/26], I want us to go back to Africa, to play ideally in the CAF Champions League, at worst, in the CAF Confederations Cup.
“We want to play in the CAF Champions League and everyone knows exactly what needs to be done.
“I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m expecting all the players to be fit for purpose. I’m expecting the administration to be fit for purpose. I’m expecting the technical team to be fit for purpose,” he added.
Zungu also highlighted on their journey to compete in Africa again.
“I’m very proud that my team AmaZulu Football Club to play in this topflight,” Zungu added.
“And I would like to see us stay in this, and I would like to see us conquer in this space.
“The world is an oyster if you do that, and you start playing more in the CAF competitions and possibility of us playing in the Club World Cup.
“You can laugh at it for now and it’s not an impossible ambition.”
Usuthu are currently in pre-season camp in Johannesburg preparing for the KZN Premier’s Cup set to take place on the weekend of 27-28 July.
