Though admitting he had never imagined partnering with Ramahlwe Mphahlele at the heart of Usuthu’s rearguard, AmaZulu defender Abbubaker Mobara still foresees the combination growing stronger.

The telepathic understanding between the two was out of this world in AmaZulu’s MTN8 semifinal second leg goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. It was the fourth straight game the pair had partnered at the heart of AmaZulu’s defence. AmaZulu face Marumo Gallants in a league tie at Peter Mokaba Stadium tonight (7.30pm).

“To be honest, I never saw it [his central defensive pairing with Mphahlele] coming. The coach has given Rama the shot and he’s taken it with both hands... that’s what football is about. He has played as a right-back for the better part of his career, hence I never saw this partnership coming,” Mobara told Sowetan at Moses Mabhida Stadium after their game against Chiefs.

“Rama is a disciplined player and his experience is also playing a huge role in his game. So far the pairing has been good and I strongly believe it will get even better with more game time because we will be getting more familiar with each other. I hope the partnership will survive for the rest of the season but if not, whoever comes in must give his best.”

AmaZulu face Orlando Pirates, who are Mobara’s erstwhile employers, in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on November 5. The 28-year-old Usuthu defender has maintained he has no point to prove against the Buccaneers. He had joined Pirates from Ajax Cape Town in 2016 before leaving three years later to return to his hometown Cape Town to join the Citizens.

“I have said this before, I don’t have anything to prove to Pirates. I just want to play my football. At the moment I am enjoying it and I don’t want any distraction of where I should be and what happened in the past,” Mobara insisted.