UKZN defender Sphamandla Sosibo says his team will leave everything on the pitch when they face TUT in a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash.
UKZN picked up their first point of Varsity Football 2019 last week when they held UFS to a 0-0 stalemate in Bloemfontein, but a greater challenge awaits the Impi in Round 4.
This coming Thursday, UKZN team are up against table-toppers TUT, who are three-from-three, in a true definition of a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash. On paper the result seems obvious, but games are never won on paper.
That much was evident last year, when the match ended in 2-2 draw – UKZN ‘s second point of their debut campaign. One of the top performers in that match, which earned him the FNB Man of the Match award, was the 21-year-old defender Sphamandla ‘Major’ Sosibo.
“I remember the game like it was yesterday. What stands out the most for me when I look back is the fighting spirit we had and the high-tempo at which the game was played,” recalls the fourth-year Social Sciences student.
The Impi trailed twice in last year’s match before fighting back and the hosts will need the same spirit this time around for their only home match in Pietermaritzburg, at Peter Booysen Stadium. Sosibo is one a few players in the UKZN squad who study at the Pietermaritzburg campus [he is from Richmond, just outside ‘The City of Choice’], and only meet up with their teammates just before games, so he is even more excited for Thursday’s clash.
He’s also eager to play his part in being the first team to thwart the Red Machine in 2019, when they arrive in KwaZulu-Natal’s capital.
“I can’t foresee the future however, I know for a fact that we’ll go out guns blazing on Thursday, we’ll leave everything we have on the field.
“The team is looking at its best. The mood and spirit among the players is electric. We’ve done a lot of introspection and everyone is clear on what’s expected from them individually as a player. We’re willing to die for one another on the field,” Sosibo concludes.
It’s fair to say that if the home team displays half the effort they displayed in this fixture last year, then the home fans will be entertained. Of course, TUT are playing like a runaway train but overconfidence may present the opportunity for David to once again overcome Goliath…
Tickets for Thursday’s game, which kicks off at 18:30, are available for just R10 if you use the Varsity Sports App, downloadable from the Apple App Store on iOS devices or from the Google Play store for Android users.
