As we usher in Round Two of Varsity Football, the opening day of the popular mini league lived up to its expectations. The fans heeded the call to support their teams by filling stadiums across the country. Those who couldn’t make their way to the stadiums were also glued to their television sets. We are in for an exciting nine weeks of entertaining football.
There will be drama, excitement and tears as the competition progresses. Without a doubt the highlight of Round One was Themba Ndlovu’s last-minute free-kick that sparked wild celebrations during the Tshwane derby between TUT and Tuks.
Here are the five things that we learned on the first day. And things that teams could possibly avoid next time.
TUT stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches
The defending champions ended their 2016 campaign unbeaten in the tournament, but they were seconds away from surrendering their proud record. TUT had to dig deep to salvage a draw against Tuks in front of a capacity crowd. The time was 94 minutes on the clock when they broke Tuks hearts to rescue a valuable point. The biggest reward for the team in red on the night wasn’t the point, it was holding on to their unbeaten run.
Jeremiah Nkwana is out of shape
Without a doubt Nkwana has an educated left foot. He is a set-piece specialist and he is the type of a player that any team wants in their team. But there is just one problem. No, make that one big problem. The talented midfielder has gained weight. Nkwana’s fitness is a sign for concern. Not just to the fans but also the Tuks technical team. Shaun Bartlett, who is the senior head coach at AmaTuks, the National First Division outfit, is also worried about his fitness and his weight issue. The player can still whip deadly crosses into the box but he needs to lose weight as if it were preseason.
UWC showed their strength in attack
Those who thought that UWC were not a high-scoring team better think again. Who thought that the 2015 champions could hit six past Wits? No one saw that coming. Well done to the boys from the Mother City, they definitely provided some entertainment and dished out a football lesson to the out-of-sort Wits side.
Kudos to FNB for dishing out the moolah
FNB gave away t-shirts with letters and that proved to be a killer idea. And those who were wearing t-shirts made themselves some cash. This thing comes in handy for students and it goes a long way to making a difference in one’s life. Eshibobo! Those were the letters that were rewarded with cash ranging from R250 to R500. Thanks FNB for making a difference to the students with prizes. If anyone could do with an extra buck or two it’s our students!
Themba Ndlovu is a magician
And the moment of the week goes to none other TUT’s no.10, Themba Ndlovu. His well taken free-kick deep into stoppage time was the highlight of day one. The timing of his goal was perfect. It was a fitting way to end a derby. And the free-kick did not come against mediocre opponents it came against Tuks.
Watch the magic moment here:
By Charles Baloyi – Daily Sun and Sunday Sports writer
