JOHANNESBURG -  Sifiso Vilakazi experienced just that in his maiden appearance in the colours of AmaZulu when Kaizer Chiefs smashed them dizzy in the 2012/13 Absa Premiership season opener. Usuthu had a whole week to recover from the loss.

They spent it with a visit to the Zulu King’s Royal Palace at KwaNongoma as part of their 80th anniversary celebrations.

They finished it off with a friendly against National First Division outfit Thanda Royal Zulu on Saturday. This to prepare for the comeback they are looking to showcase tonight at the expense of Maritzburg United at the  Harry Gwala Stadium in the KwaZulu-Natal capital. 

 “It was a painful experience, especially since it was my first match with the team,” Vilakazi said.  “We have no choice but to dust ourselves off and move on. We talked as a team that the loss was unacceptable and we need to make things better, starting in the next game.”

Liberian forward Dulee Johnson and Zimbabwean Mkhokheli Dube will miss the match as they still have  to be granted their work permits, and goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini, who had to pick the ball out the back of the net six times, is doubtful because of a knee injury.

    The Team of Choice didn’t have the best of starts either, scraping a 1-1 draw from rookies University of Pretoria, and the trio of Delron Buckley, Mthokozisi Yende and Ruben Cloete spent the week nursing knocks.

  Vilakazi is confident that when the final whistle is blown tonight, the entire United squad, will be nursing a loss from Usuthu.

 “We have to start winning – not just games but some silverware too,” he said. “The club has set a target of winning something this season. It would be a perfect gift to give the fans something to celebrate the club’s 80th anniversary. To get that winning mentality going, we have to start in this match and carry that forward.”

Once the side has moved forward their problem has been finishing and their bad conversion rate attests to that.

Last season only three teams scored fewer goals than AmaZulu, and one of those were relegated.

It’s the reason Vilakazi and a few other players were brought in to resolve.

  “It’s a big problem but we have been working on it as a team this past week, doing more finishing drills than usual,” Vilakazi said.

“It will get better, we just need to be more composed in the box,” he said.

“That will be key in moving forward and achieving our objectives.”