Varsity Football has reached the business end and the time has come to separate boys from men. The difference between stepping out onto the field in the Varsity Football final, and watching the match from a couch at home could all be decided by a single moment of brilliance. Here are some of the key men for CUT and UJ – the type of players that provided the magical moments that helped their teams reach the final four.
Central University of Technology vs University of Johannesburg
CUT crucial player: Orapeleng Manopole
Position: Left wing
CUT’s main mission was to show that they are not a Mickey Mouse operation. In that regard, it’s mission accomplished for Central University of Technology.
The new kids on the Varsity Football block have defied the odds. In their maiden appearance, the wise men from Bloemfontein put in a fine performance that bellied their rookie status. Finishing second with only one defeat from eight games is nothing to scoff at.
But they are walking wounded as they welcome UJ for Thursday afternoon’s last four clash. Their “car”, a player they call Pajero, has crashed. From the left wing, Orapeleng “Pajero” Manopole has been the wind beneath the CUT wings.
But his participation in the tournament came to a screeching stop when he suffered a knee injury 10 minutes into the penultimate clash against Tshwane University of Technology.
Knowing their status as underdogs, CUT treated each game like a final. Being an unknown quantity played to their advantage. It allowed Manopole to catch opponents unawares to bulge the net three times.
“He stood head and shoulders above the rest. When things were hard, when we needed goals, Pajero showed up. He scored those important goals for us,” reflected CUT coach Rakometsi Mosai. “He was injured against TUT and will only be available to play again next year. It is a big blow for us. We must soldier on without him. We are motivated to win on his behalf as well. We are all in this together. In his absence, the six attacking players in our side will have to do the job. If I tell you anything beyond that, I will be giving away our game plan.
“We are going to do all our best to win the game. We’ll attack from the first whistle. There’s no room for draw. It is do or die. You lose, you are out. We are not worried about UJ. They are a strong team. I know for sure that they have great respect for us, like we do for them.
“They know they are not going to play a Mickey Mouse team. The determination from the players is impressive. This has been a great experience for the boys. We wish for it to continue, hopefully with a happy ending in the final,” says Mosai.
UJ crucial player: Matthew Edward
Position: Centre back
The 22-year-old graphic design student Edwards reads the game very well. He does his job like a seasoned professional. His clearances are perfect and well timed. A cool as cucumber character, he can start a build-up from the back. Most crucially, he is comfortable on his feet. This can be seen in his uncanny ability to play short, medium and long passes to perfection with both feet.
He is an integral part of the team in that he has been around since 2013-14. He is also not shy to forge into forward forays into enemy territory ala Mark Fish. Such enthusiasm to assist in attack saw him rewarded with a brace when UJ massacred North West University Mafikeng with a 6-2 tennis score line in their opening match.
“He understands how things are done here. The one thing I know about Mathew is that you can bet your life that he is going to give his all for the team. That kind of attitude rubs off to his teammates,” says coach Mandla Zwane.
Although they would have preferred a home semifinal, UJ are unperturbed about being the away team for Thursday’s last four.
“It is the knock out stage. That means it is anybody’s game, no matter where we play. We can’t fold our arms and let them to come at us. We will fight fire with fire. Teamwork got us to this stage. We got our balance at the right time. I was worried that the majority of our players didn’t have enough rest. During the holidays they were playing in the Joburg Cup.
From there they proceeded to the University Sport games. That tournament was finished just two weeks before the Varsity Football season started. We managed to use our pool of players very well. There’s just one game before the final. My wish is to finish it in regulation 90 minutes. No extra time. No penalties,” said Zwane.
While Edwards will be expected to sure things up in the rearguard, Zwane will look at a player like Katlego Ntsabeleng to unhinge the CUT defence. On his day, Ntsabeleng twists and turns like a snake on a hot desert sand. It is easy to understand his bag of tricks. He is cut from the same cloth as the boys who hail from his Daveyton hood – Jabu Mahlangu, Skapie Malatsi and Junior Khanye. Dribbling wizardry is in the Daveyton DNA. It has helped Ntsabeleng dish out three goals and eye-catching performances saw him take home two FNB Man-of-the-Match gongs.
By Bareng-Batho Kortjaas (BBK)
Sunday Times Sports Editor
