The camp of AmaZulu FC has been rocked by player revolt allegations in recent weeks, while the results on the field have been disappointing this season. However, the side has remained firm in their position that all is well in camp. In the aftermath, though, Ayanda Dlamini has been moved from assistant coach to interim head coach, with Romain Folz redeployed to Technical Director. Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina caught up with Usuthu's influential midfielder Rally Bwalya to get a glimpse of the mood in the allegedly beleaguered camp and how the players are dealing with the allegations labelled against them. Despite this only being his first season in the PSL having joined from Tanzanian giants Simba SC, the Zambian has been putting in displays similar to those of a South African topflight veteran. Furthermore, the 27-year-old discusses the team's prospects in relation to Sandile Zungu's plans and being linked with Kaizer Chiefs in the past.
Masebe Qina: Rally, welcome to the pages of Soccer Laduma. We speak to you while you are on your way to visit the doctor. What's the matter?
Rally Bwalya: Yeah, thanks a lot. I injured my finger in our previous game against Cape Town City. I fell, and so my finger got hurt and that's why I have to see a doctor for it to be examined. It's not broken, but it is swollen and that's why I had to visit the doctor. It's a bit painful, but thankfully it's not broken.
MQ: Speedy recovery. So, how's your first season with AmaZulu FC been?
RB: Umm… it's been a season of ups and downs, but I think we can't dwell on a lot of those things. I'm learning a lot of things and coping (adjusting) to the environment and the type of football that is played here. Coming to AmaZulu, I've been so impressed about the professionalism of the club.
MQ: What do you mean by "season of ups and downs"?
RB: It's because of the season that we've had because we did not expect things to go the way they have. We went to the MTN8 final, but we did not win it and we didn't do well in the Nedbank Cup. We had a lot of ambitions for this season, and by saying we have had ups and downs, I mean we aimed for bigger things.
MQ: There was the process of having to adjust from the Tanzanian Premier League to the PSL…
RB: Well, the a d j u s t m e n t has been okay because I received a lot of help from my teammates and the technical staff, which has been so helpful. Also, with the environment of this country, it doesn't make it hard for anyone to adjust, so the support of everyone around me has helped me a lot.
MQ: You had your first full 90 minutes in a while against Cape Town City recently.
RB: It's all about trying to help the team and in having to do so, you just have to do your best on the pitch. So, after a long time since I last played 90 minutes, it wasn't easy, but at the end of the day you just have to be prepared mentally and physically for every challenge that comes your way. It's about helping the team to do well.
MQ: What motivated such a spirited fight to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2?
RB: Yeah, you know when you concede two quick goals away from home, it is always difficult to come back, but I think everybody approached the situation with the right attitude and at half-time, the coach told us to return to the field and do everything to come back because everything is possible in football. So, the aim was to get the first goal early in the second half and we knew that anything is possible in the game. That's what happened – we scored that first goal we needed and we then kept on pushing and pushing until the last minute when we got the equaliser.
MQ: After the match, coach Ayanda Dlamini said the draw felt like a win. Did it feel the same way for the players?
RB: (Takes a long pause) Well, I think we've been in the same situation as well, and if I remember when we played against Richards Bay FC (in January) away, we were leading 1-0 until the dying minutes when they equalised and that felt like a loss. We were disappointed as a team knowing very well that we could have gone back home with all the three points. So, also for us coming back from two goals down against Cape Town City, a very good side, I think it was a plus for us as a team to have done that. It did something to us mentally and it motivated us because that wasn't an easy game. Coming from two goals down to draw the game means we are capable of doing anything as long as we work together as a team.
MQ: How have you found working with Dlamini as interim head coach?
RB: As a footballer, the most important thing is that you have to be able to adjust and you can't separate coaches and you can't have coaches that you don't like. Whoever the president and the board choose to be the coach, at the end of the day it's about my co-operation as a player. It's just to be professional and give it my all no matter who the coach is, because I have a job to do and that's to give it my all for the club. So, I wouldn't go as far as saying that it feels good to be playing under coach Ayanda, it's about us players giving it our all for the club and applying ourselves well irrespective of who the coach is. The most important thing is the badge that we play for. So, whoever is the coach, as long as I'm given a task to do, I've got a duty to play as a player. Any coach that comes, I need to give my 100%.
MQ: Talking about giving 100% for coaches, it's been alleged that some senior players at Usuthu have been giving coaches problems. Do you know anything about that?
RB: I would be lying if I start commenting on that. I think I've never experienced such. But I think as footballers, and it doesn't matter whether you are a senior player or a youngster, it is up to an individual to take or not take any advice from anyone on what is being suggested. We all want the best for the team.
MQ: But your former coach, Brandon Truter, has spoken publicly about it saying that players are giving coaches problems at AmaZulu.
RB: I can't comment on that one. He was our boss, and if he saw that, I think everybody has his own opinion on things, but I don't know anything about that.
MQ: As players, how do the reports about being not coachable sit with you?
RB: The most important thing for us is our mindsets. There may be things that are being said about us from outside of the club. You know, there may be rumours, others true and others wrong, but it's about us who are at the club, who know what is happening. Like I said, I don't want to comment as everybody has their own opinions. I know who I am, and I know what I'm capable of doing, so if there are rumours that are being reported about the club, I can't comment too on those because I'm not privy to that situation.
MQ: How's the mood in camp?
RB: The mood is… You know, we are in a situation where anything is possible. The league is so tight from the bottom-placed team to a team somewhere in the top five. We just have to be consistent in the remaining games in getting maximum points and we'll see where we can finish at the end of the season.
MQ: As things stand, you guys are above the relegation zone by just five points, which is totally in contrast to what club president Sandile Zungu wants for the club. What's been the problem?
RB: The president is a very ambitious man and you can see it in the way he supports us. He is one of the best in the way he has been motivating us, and you can tell even before he speaks that he is a very ambitious person and he has great plans for the club. But sometimes whilst you can set goals, you may not achieve those goals, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. All you need is to continue trying because as individuals we need to set those goals. So, I think just because we haven't achieved the goals that we set, we can't then say it's over – no, we can still achieve those goals next season. Everything happens for a reason.
MQ: Up next are matches against SuperSport United, Sekhukhune United, Mamelodi Sundowns, Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates. It doesn't get any easier, hey?
RB: Like I said, everything is possible, and as you are also saying, the games ahead of us are very tricky, but we don't have to look at all those games at once, but we need to focus on each one of them as they come and I think that is what is going to help us.
MQ: Let's talk about coach Romain Folz.
RB: Romain Folz is someone I learned a lot from, and he would tell me where I needed to improve and so on. I learned a lot of things under the coach.
MQ: Why did you struggle under him though?
RB: That one I can't really be sure about because every time we went onto the pitch, we always wanted to win, but we ended up not winning in some of the games. We all wanted to win games for the team, but things didn't always go our way.
MQ: Did you understand how he wanted you to play?
RB: Yes, it was clear to us how he wanted us to play and we had to understand it. As professional footballers, we have to adapt to every situation because every coach has got his own tactics and own style of play. Whichever way the coach wants you to play, you have to adapt to that situation.
MQ: Before arriving in Mzansi, you were linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs.
RB: I also read about it in newspapers and on social media, but I think there wasn't any concrete evidence about it and it was just rumours. There was nothing formal that came my way. I just let my agent do the work and I knew that if there was something, he would let me know about it and in the end, there was nothing solid on those rumours.
MQ: Rally, thanks for talking to us.
RB: Thank you very much.
RALLY BWALYA FACT FILE
Date of birth: 29 May 1995
Place of birth: Kitwe, Zambia
Nickname: 50 million
Position: Midfielder
Jersey number: 50
Club: AmaZulu FC
Previous clubs: Nchanga Rangers, Power Dynamos (both Zambia), Simba SC (Tanzania)
Honours: 2016 Zambian Charity Shield winner (with Dynamos), 2020/21 League winner, 2020/21 FAT Cup, 2021 Community Shield, 2021 Mapinduzi Cup (all with Simba)
