Have some teams had a bad or a slow start? Call it whatever you like. Some have made a perfect start to their Varsity Football campaigns, while others are still finding their feet at this late stage of the competition. Things are getting hot in the Varsity Football sixth edition. And Round Five is a time to either swim or sink.
We have waited for years for a tightly contested and unpredictable competition and we finally have it. Whoever will be crowned the champions this year will have to work their socks off.
Looking at how the action has been unfolding at this year’s competition, it is getting harder to pick a winner with each round of matches. Apart from UKZN and whipping boys Limpopo, all the six teams can still claim a spot in the last four and this is an indication of how tough the competition is.
Here’s how Tuks did in the previous round
It’s a competitive tournament as teams are having a full go at each other. There will be no margin for error in the upcoming round of matches. From the beginning of the competition Wits have been sitting pretty in the four top brackets, but they can find themselves easily outside of the semi-final spot at the end of their 90 minutes clash against NWU.
It’s a case of you snooze you lose. Tuks can unseat Wits and move into fourth on the log table if they win their encounter against the free falling boys from Limpopo. Let’s assume that Limpopo fold their arms and allow Tuks to have it their own way. On paper it looks like UP-Tuks have a walk in the park; their job is just to show up and collect the three points.
Here’s how UWC did in the previous round
But every dog has its day and Limpopo can pull off the mother of all upsets to stun the defending champions. UP-Tuks are also looking over their shoulders as UWC can leapfrog them into fifth spot, provided they drop points and the boys from Cape Town clinch the three points in KZN, against the competition’s strugglers. Sounds easy right? But UKZN and Limpopo have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are expected to lose their matches and nobody expect them to win. That is the beauty about football. UJ and TUT will cancel each other at the top of the log.
These are interesting times for the competition. The semi-final of Varsity Football is drawing nearer and we are closer to knowing the identity of the four teams that will feature in the knockout stages.
With just three games to go before the conclusion of the mini league, it’s about putting the best foot forward for the teams that are competing at this year’s competition. This competition is different from the previous editions.
This year’s competition is unpredictable and it is there for the taking. Who thought that UJ, TUT and NWU would be involved in a three way horse race for the leadership of the competition?
The remaining three games require mental toughness. Thursday’s matches are not for the feint hearted – it’s a jungle out there – it’s either you eat or get eaten.
By Charles Baloyi – Daily Sun and Sunday Sun Sports Writer
