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| Amazulu New Signings @ Backpagepix |
Roger Palmgren, the AmaZulu coach, is looking for continuity in the new campaign ahead, saying their key objective was to build on a highest ever placing in the Absa Premiership last season.
The Swede was speaking at a press conference on Monday, where the club announced their new signings, along with outlining plans for the months ahead.
Three players were on show by AmaZulu, Liberian midfielder Dulee Johnson who signs as a free agent, striker Sifiso Vilakazi from BidVest Wits and Prince Hlela of Bloemfontein Celtic.
All three have signed two-year deals with the club.
"The players we have signed are all quality players and players we have been tracking for a long time," Palmgren said.
"Sifiso and Prince are well known and they've been around in the PSL for quite a few years now.
"They are proven players and were high priority players. We are very happy to have brought them on board."
Johnson, 27, has spent the bulk of his career based in Sweden, starting with lower tier club Floda IF, taking in BK Hacken and ending at giants AIK Stockholm.
He has never played in Africa before and AmaZulu will be his first club assignment on the continent.
"Dulee is from my part of the world," the Usuthu mentor explained.
"He's played in Sweden for many years and has a tremendous CV behind him.
"He comes highly recommended and we're happy he agreed to join us."
AmaZulu ended an impressive seventh last season, their best ever finish since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) was formed in 1996.
Palmgren said they were hoping to build on that showing by becoming more consistent.
"The plan is simple, we're trying to maintain and possibly even improve on what we did last season," he said. "We train everyday throughout the week and we have a different approach of the pre-season setup compared to last season. We're in a phase where we are trying to tighten up our training.
"We're in to our fourth week of pre-season now and we'll now start to play a lot more friendlies."
The first of those friendlies is on Wednesday when 19-time English champions Manchester United are in town, a match that will mark the start of AmaZulu's 80th year anniversary celebrations.
They will then play Wits in Johannesburg next week, followed by a clash against another foreign club, Australian team Perth Glory, before the provincial Premier's Cup tournament, which also involves fellow top-flight clubs Maritzburg United and Lamontville Golden Arrows on July 29.
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