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 TUT and NWU-Mafikeng – the type of players that provided the magical moments that helped their teams reach the final four.
Tshwane University of Technology v North West University-Mafikeng
TUT crucial player: Katlego Kgatjepe
Position: Midfielder-come-striker
Many eyes fall on Jacob Hlalele because he is the spearhead. The finisher. But every main actor has a supporting cast and Katlego Kgatjepe revels in that role.
He is the heartbeat of TUT in many respects, with a grafting application some may liken to Luis Suarez.
He is one of the players who is more mobile and also very good in terms of creating things for himself. He does one thing perfectly, which is make Hlalele out to be a good player, diverting the attention of the defenders away from the main striker.
Without him TUT would really struggle. His intelligence allows him to understand the basic responsibilities of a midfielder-come-striker. He ticks the crucial boxes: off-the-ball movement, switching positional play, drifting wide and cutting back inside. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Bushy Moloi’s men reached the semi-final on an unbeaten run and the coach is oozing confidence.
“We just have to play the 90 minutes plus the added time; six minutes or nine minutes,” says Moloi. Huh?
“Yeah, that’s it. No extra time. We can’t afford to go that long. Being unbeaten puts pressure on our boys. I must now be a psychologist slash coach.
“We will produce wonderful play, we need to showcase our best. We want to make our fans happy. Lack of resources should not inhibit you to achieve your goals. Everyone that will come to Tshwane must know that they will never leave Tshwane with any victory. They should know. People must just see how a university that has no resources at all can go through and win the tournament without any external support. We are definitely the best.”
North West University-Mafikeng crucial player: All of them.
Position: All over the field
NWU-Mafikeng coach has had his phone off. That’s because Amos Xabanisa is fully focused on the preparation for this evening’s semi-final clash against Tshwane University of Pretoria.
So the talking is left to Vuyo Sambo, the club manager.
“All 18 players that have been selected to play are crucial,” says Sambo. That TUT have not tasted defeat is not a bother for the men Bokone Bophirima.
“True, they are undefeated, but they are not invincible. We don’t care about the composition of the opposition, their strengths and weaknesses. We are approaching the game according to our plan. They must expect fighters, soldiers, just that. The rest they will see on the field,” says Sambo.
He says being on the road for the last four works in their favour because “if you check our games, we’ve done well playing away from home. We drew two games and won one. At home we won only one game and lost twice. We do well on the road. We will approach this game according to our plan.
“It’s a semi-final, a different ball game altogether. You may plan according to their last game only to find they come up with a new approach. The good thing is we have a clean bill of health and we are raring to go,” concludes Sambo.
By Bareng-Batho Kortjaas (BBK)
Sunday Times Sports Editor
