OF course it is number one and two.
No, no, no! Not Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa, the first and second in-command in the hierarchy of the country and the ANC. But this is a tale about Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Central University of Technology (CUT), two of three sides who possess a remarkable unbeaten record.
The TUT turf will be the stage tonight for this Round Six, top-of-the-table clash as the Varsity Football league approaches the business end at the galloping pace of a Durban July Handicap horse on steroids.
Separated by two points, victory for the visitors CUT (11 points) will not only topple TUT (13 points). It will see the newbies subject the hosts to a first defeat of the season.
Confidence is sky-high in both camps
Each side harbours designs of finishing the campaign at numero uno. Neither will mind if the status quo remains till the end as the reward for finishing in the top two places is a much coveted home semi-final.
Still, there is a small matter of tonight’s fixture.
As new boys on the Varsity Football block, CUT have exceeded expectations with eye-catching effect. And coach Rakometsi Mosai expresses cautious confidence that his boys can pull rug from the feet of TUT and shoot to the summit of the log standings.
“I’ve been telling people that we might be new at Varsity Football, but we are not new to football,” he warns and hastens to add that “we know how to play this game. We have been preparing for this league for three years. Those who undermine us do so at their peril.”
Mosai anticipates a great display of the beautiful game. That belief is informed by his observation that both teams rely on brains rather than brawn.
“TUT plays well, we are also playing well. We are playing the same style. Like us, they rely more on brains than brawn. They like building from the back, which is also our strong point. We both don’t like pumping high balls upfront. I really believe that this will be a beautiful game because of those factors.”
The similarity of styles may stifle the flow. Thus, this match may boil down to an individual, or two, pulling a rabbit of a hat to propel either side to victory. It would not have escaped the eyes of those who pay attention to detail that the modus operandi of CUT centres around getting their fullbacks heavily involved in launching onslaughts.
Leftback Sello Mokgele and rightback Morena Lehloa are always encouraged to enter enemy territory in blazing forward forays that often unhinges opposition defences. But TUT coach Bushy Moloi will be better advised to beware of Orapeleng Manopole, the CUT flying winger who weaves wicked wizardry with his bewitching left foot.
Manopole isn’t only able to eliminate opponents with his trickery. He is also a fine finisher with three goals to his name. Mosai is aware that his counterpart Moloi will look at his most potent weapon of mass destruction, the one-game, one-goal mean machine Jacob Hlalele, to continue firing on all cylinders.
“Hlalele is dangerous for sure, but our defenders have been drilled on how to deal with him and make sure he misfires,” says Mosai. He adds that TUT’s real danger man is their goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi, whom he has christened Super Saver.
“The goalkeeper is their pillar of strength. They have not conceded many goals because of him. He is their super saver. We have to find a way to beat him because we are not yet safe in terms of ending the league in the top two. If we lose the next two games we may even end up out of top four,” says Mosai.
And that would mean all the hard work was a futile exercise for Mosai, an unassuming central midfielder in his heyday who starred for Welkom Unison, Welkom Stars, Mabopane Young Masters, Witbank Spurs, City Pillars, Bloemfontein Young Tigers.
Fire Masilela, Teko Modise and the late Shakes Kungoane, were his teammates at Pillars.
The 40-year-old won promotion to the Premier Soccer League with Bloemfontein Celtic coached by Benjamin Reed. But he never played in the top flight. Of course he will take one or two and who knows how that can end up?
By Bareng-Batho Kortjaas (BBK)
Sports Editor at Sunday Times
