AmaZulu FC head coach Arthur Zwane says Kenyan striker Moses Shumah is not yet ready to make his debut in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Shumah joined the Durban-based club during pre-season but arrived with limited preparation after last playing competitive football in May.
Zwane says the 26-year-old is currently behind the rest of the squad in terms of fitness and match readiness, with AmaZulu requiring players who can make an immediate impact.
“Shumah joined us when we had about two weeks left into pre-season. He is far behind… Pule and Shumah are not going to be ready anytime soon,” Zwane said, as quoted by Pulse Sports.
“Right now, we need people to come and help us and, unfortunately, as I said, Shumah last played in May, if I’m not mistaken. Then he was at home all along; then he had to do other things prior to him joining us. He was getting married and all those other family things.”
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach also stressed that Shumah needs time to adjust to the demands of the PSL, which he believes is played at a higher intensity and tempo than the leagues the striker previously experienced in Kenya and Zambia.
“The intensity, the tempo of the PSL is at a different level. That’s why players who come here need time to adjust. They won’t just come,” Zwane said.
Shumah spent the previous campaign in Zambia, where he scored 21 goals, before earning a move to AmaZulu.
Zwane believes the striker’s impressive goalscoring record does not automatically mean he can immediately replicate that form in South Africa.
“Shumah was playing in Kenya; look at the league in Kenya, then he moved to Zambia where he scored 21 goals,” Zwane added.
The coach says AmaZulu are targeting an improved campaign after finishing fourth last season and wants his new signings to be fully prepared before being introduced to the team.
“We decided to bring him to this side, and I look at the teams he played for, in terms of demand and experience. He has come to Zulu; we were number four, and this season we want to do better.”
Shumah will therefore have to wait for his PSL debut as he continues to build up his fitness and adapt to his new surroundings.
