AmaZulu coach Joey Antipas says the team must stay humble in their quest for promotion after rising to second in the NFD standings with five matches left in the season. Usuthu beat Cape Town All Stars 3-1 this past weekend to make it four victories on the trot, leaving them nine points adrift of runaway leaders Thanda Royal Zulu. Antipas's side on Saturday visit playoffs rivals Black Leopards, who are a point behind them but with a game in hand. "There's no need to be carried away, we just got to take each game as it comes and go with the right focus and right attitude," said Antipas. "We just got to keep our feet on the ground and stay humbled and just keep on working hard, and if we do that then we can do it [reach the playoffs]. "But going forward now, one thing I can say the team spirit is tremendous and we just going to keep up that fighting spirit. 

"Having said that, I'm extremely happy and I'd say it was good fight back in the second half. But in the first half we were slow on the ball, and we gave Cape Town All Stars a lot of the ball, room and space. "But in the second half we improved and our pressing was good, especially in the second half with the good introductions of [Mabhuti] Khenyeza and Sbu Magaqa [who] lifted the game and I'm very happy." The Zimbabwean said the team will fight hard for a playoffs spot in memory of their kit manager Jonathan 'Big John' Ndlangisa, who was shot in Berea/Glenwood on April 8 and passed away in hospital 10 days later.

The 47-year-old, who also worked at Golden Arrows, received a memorial service at Moses Mabhida Stadium last Friday and his funeral took place on Sunday in his hometown Mhlabashane Place, KwaMzamo, Highflats on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. "From his death we decided to fight for him because we are happy men if AmaZulu do go up. So we'll fight tooth and nail each and every game," Antipas added.