Rama, Buchanan return to Usuthu to help boost morale

AmaZulu coach Ayanda Dlamini said he decided to bring defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele and midfielder Keagan Buchanan back from “exile” to boost the spirit of the team. 

Mphahlele and Buchanan were suspended from the first team after their relationship with former coach, Romain “Fohloza” Folz, hit a snag. Dlamini recalled the duo after his appointment as head honcho. Folz has been redeployed as the technical adviser to club president Sandile Zungu.

Mphahlele was an unused substitute in AmaZulu’s 2-2 draw against Cape Town City in the DStv Premiership on Sunday at Cape Town Stadium. 

Khanyisa Mayo and Darwin Gonzalez found the back of the net in the first half to give City a two-goal lead . After the hour mark, Thabo Nodada received a red card and that opened the window for an Usuthu to come back. Bongi Ntuli sparked the comeback with a goal in the 76th minute and then it was completed by Augustine Kwem in stoppage time.

In his post-match conference, Dlamini lauded his players for the comeback but the issue about Mphahlele and Buchanan dominated proceedings and he addressed it. 

“I brought them back because I feel we need them. Rama has been good for us. I don’t remember a game where he didn’t do well for us since he came. Keagan also has not played a lot but is a very good player with his experience. So I felt they should be brought back.

“It reminds me of a situation when I first took over. There were players that were suspended, Major [Lehlohonolo Majoro] was one of them, Thembela Sikhakhane was one of them and quite a few others. I brought them back and we managed to save the team. Having those players back lifts their teammates,” Dlamini told the media. 

The former AmaZulu striker is tasked with saving the club as they have been pulled into a relegation dogfight. Usuthu are in 12th place with 29 points. They are five points above the relegation zone. Dlamini believes that being in this situation is good for his growth as a coach. 

“I’m not a guy who is a coward. In my coaching career as a young coach, this is exactly what I need for me to grow. If you’re a coach and you want to run away from situations like this, you will never grow. If you want to be in a comfortable place, you will never grow,” Dlamini said.