University of Johannesburg are ready and firing on all cylinders to kick off their first Varsity Football match against Central University of Technology this week, aiming to have a good start to their campaign.
The 2017 Varsity Football season begins on Thursday, 27 July, with the University of Johannesburg football team travelling to Bloemfontein with intentions of earning maximum points. UJ football manager, Joel Kgokong reiterated that it’s vital for the team to take their chances early on in the season.
“It’s imperative for us to capitalise early on in the tournament, to boost our morale and have the backing of the fans – the 12th man support is a crucial leverage we must use against our opponents.”
Both UJ and CUT football teams are looking positive and aiming high in the sizzling hot Varsity Football opening games. Home ground advantage for Central University of Technology (CUT) will most definitely ease the nerves but looking back on last season they are aware of the orange army’s ability to snatch an away win.
Both teams met twice last year, both fixtures favouring UJ with a (0-0) draw and a win on penalties in the semi-finals. All of the eight teams participating in the tournament this coming Thursday will make it a priority to win their home games and minimise the pressure of a must-win opening game.
Here’s how it played out last time the two teams met:
The UJ team, inclusive of the technical staff, learned a hard lesson last season traveling to a hostile TUT for the final, as the TUT fans backed their home team relentlessly. This was a huge boost for TUT and to UJ it felt as though they were one man down. Varsity Football pundits are expecting fans from both teams to have a go at each other, trolling each other and pledging their relentless support for their teams on social media.
Don’t forget, if you want to make your tweets visible and engage with VarsitySports, just #Iyachesa, you can also tag us using the @VarsitySportsSA handle.
By Jabu Mthombeni
