First Final in more than a Decade...

 

Football fans love to be associated with winning trophies; it earns them bragging rights. For the fans is never about the prize money but the respect that comes with being the champions. Before the 5^th of November 2022, AmaZulu last saw a major cup final in 2010 against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup and last tasted cup victory three decades ago when they won the Coca-Cola Cup, now known as the Telkom Knockout. Now, you'd wonder what is it that keeps the fans in the club despite its unfortunateness when it comes winning trophies. Indlovukazi Ya MaZulu Miss Luyunda Mbuyazi shares with #AuthenticFootballChats how the love runs deeper than just AmaZulu winning trophies. She further unpacks what the MTN8 final meant to the fans...

 

by Kgothatso Malepe

Every soccer fan has drawn an inspiration from someone, somewhere or something that led to them being a supporter of a particular club. For Usuthu Queen, it was her late dad and the goodies he would buy for her each time AmaZulu won a match. "When I was a little girl, my father used to go with me to the stadium. Every Victory for AmaZulu meant I am going to be spoilt after the game, my daddy would buy me a lot of things. So, that was enough reason for me to look forward to our next stadium trip". As years progressed, Luyanda was growing, she says she started realising that there are no kids and women at the stadium. That AmaZulu is a team for old men who wear traditional attire complimented by shields and spears and she said to her daddy "I love AmaZulu but unfortunately I will not be going to the stadium with you anymore but please do bring me some goodies". The inevitable happened in 2014, unfortunately her dad departed from this world and the Queen found comfort in the club, "I started loving AmaZulu more, it makes me feel connected to my father. I felt a strong need to continue his legacy, I started attending every game". 

The charismatic Queen expressed how she wishes her father was still alive to see her in her beautiful outfit on every matchday, "I wish my father can see me doing AmaZulu adverts, I want my father to see everything that I am doing for AmaZulu". The decision to go back to stadium with full force came with the realisation that she must do something about what made her lose interest in going to stadium previously. The task at hand was to recruit more women to join her on this journey, ever wondered what is the inspiration behind her outfit? The green isicholo and a pageant like sash with a touch of beautiful green and white beaded necklace. Well, the idea was to make women realize that they do have a place in football, that they can come as the queens that they are. "As a woman in football, I come across many challenges. At times, our male counterparts do not give us the respect that we deserve. That is what drives most ladies away from the stadium, the attitude that they receive from men. Sometimes I used to be bullied even in a taxi just because I am wearing a full AmaZulu kit, you'd find men making jokes and distasteful comments about how I know nothing about football. I would just put on my earphones and pretend to be listening to music even if I am not. We need more women in stadiums, it is a place to network, socialize and distress".

 

Luyanda confesses that she has never witnessed her club lifting a major trophy. When they made it to the semi-finals, her mind was already in the finals because she was confident that there is no way they will lose to an off-form Kaizer Chiefs. When the referee blew the final whistle at Moses Mabhida on October 23^rd, it was a dream come true for AmaZulu fans. A confirmation that their club will partake in a cup final for the first time in 12 years. AmaZulu last saw a final when they played against Bidvest Wits in 2010 in the Nedbank Cup where they finished as runner-ups. "I was so happy, everyone was happy, we were just grateful to be in a final. It is a milestone for us, the trophy was just going to be a bonus'' Luyanda explains. 

In preparation for the big day against the mighty Buccaneers, the Melmoth Branch Chairlady says they did a lot of promotions in Kwa-Zulu Natal townships. Remember you are facing Orlando Pirates in a cup final, you cannot question or guess, you already know that it will be a full house. The least you can do? Get as many supporters from your side as you can to buy tickets before they are sold out. "I was not scared though, I know their noise can be intimidating but when you visit a family that makes noise, you come prepared for the noise and anyway we are already used to the noise". I am most certain that a lot of soccer lovers can attest that when you are playing either of the Soweto giants, you really need to brace yourself as the opposition fans. When Soweto fans start chanting and cheering as their team attacks, you will feel as though the stadium is shaking and that is just one of the many things that makes the beautiful game to remain beautiful.

Now the most interesting part, November 05^th 2022, a date vividly embroidered in both the hearts of Usuthu and Pirates fans. Of course for the Pirates fans it was just another one of the many finals but take it from me as a football lover, EVERY FINAL MATTERS! Indlovukazi Ya MaZulu details how the 90 minutes unfolded for her. "It was a joyful day, trouble started when they scored the first goal. I immediately sat down and took off my hat because I felt great agony, as if someone was stabbing my shoulders. Other fans comforted me, minutes later I was up and rooting for my team again. As time kept passing, reality started to sank in, tears started threatening to roll down my face. At full time, I let it all out, before Pirates fans could even start celebrating, tears had already started flood my face". 

At some point in this journey of football we have all lost an important game and without a doubt, we can relate to the emotions she was going through at the time. Regardless of the loss, Luyanda says she believes in their players and the coach, that the club and fans must give the coach a chance. Because he is still new to the club, he is probably still finding his feet and combinations that work best. "If I could have gotten a chance to be in the changing room with the players after the game, I was not going to cry in front of them. I was going to be strong for them and tell them that we still believe in them". Immediately after the game Luyanda went straight home, slept and woke up loving AmaZulu FC more the next day because she says, "I love AmaZulu more each day."