As the season draws to a close, all four KwaZulu-Natal teams face the prospect of finishing outside the top eight in the DStv Premiership for a second season in a row.
For years, KZN teams have struggled to make their mark felt in the top tier of South African football. And with two games left before the end of the season, that trend seems like it will be continuing.
Currently, the only KZN side that could still finish inside the top eight are Golden Arrows. However, Abafana Besthende are in 10th, having collected just 34 points from 28 games so far this season.
AmaZulu are currently in 12th on 33 points, while Royal AM are in 14th position. Meanwhile, Richards FC, who have narrowly avoided automatic relegation, could still face the axe if they have to play relegation-promotion play-offs.
As the 2023/24 season draws to a close IOL Sports looks at what could be the reasons behind the underwhelming performances from the KZN outfits.
FIFA ban
Two of KZN Premiership teams Royal AM and Richards Bay FC are currently banned by FIFA from signing new players after failing to meet their contractual obligations.
With both these sides finding themselves in the relegation zone, Royal AM coach John Maduka has already conceded that they are feeling the harsh effects of the ban.
Financial Muscle
While it may not be the only thing that guarantees a team's success, one cannot deny that money plays a crucial role in football, and that it is not a coincidence that the most successful teams in the world are those who have invested the most amounts of money.
KZN teams just don’t have the financial muscle to be competitive in the DStv Premiership. This is evident in Royal AM and Richards Bay's failure to settle payments to former players to free themselves from the ban imposed by FIFA.
Signing of the wrong Players
The lack of money means that KZN sides often have to look at players who have been released by other clubs. However, according to former Bafana Bafana star Teko Modise, this way of doing business may be their downfall.
Modise, trying to make sense of the predicament, was quoted by many publications as saying KZN sides tend to sign what he termed as “rejects”, and called on the teams to focus more on scouting players from rural areas to be competitive.
Lack of Support from fans
Support in football plays a crucial role, and one could argue that KZN sides don’t often get the necessary support from local fans that can propel them to the next level when facing tough opposition.
On the contrary, teams from Gauteng — read Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns — tend to have more support than the home teams whenever they are playing in the province.
IOL Sports