After a magical start to the game, the men from Alice drew first blood when they played the North West University Mafikeng campus in their second Varsity Football match of 2016. Barely 15 minutes into the game, they had managed to score a goal, and that was a textbook start.
“The boys looked like they were going to stretch the hosts all the way, but I guess we forgot that even after a goal the game carries on. That was a reality we came to face very soon,” said a rather deflated UFH head coach, Charles Hanyani.
The team soon discovered that the NWU-Mafikeng team had a few tricks up their sleeves. They managed to score two back-to-back goals, and that got the Mafikeng stadium up off their seats. The crowd was on fire and fully behind their boys. But then the men from University of Fort Hare were not willing to let it all slide without a fight, pulling back a goal to bring the score back level at 2-2.
But the efforts of the University of Fort Hare side were short-lived. Bad play resulted in a penalty and that put the lid on the hopes of University of Fort Hare winning, as North West University claimed a lead of 3-2 and the match would end that way.
“We take each game as it comes, and each game we are learning and growing as team,” said a positive captain, Siphamandle Zanekile. “In the first game, we could not keep possession or score. In the second game we kept possession and scored goals, but we could not maintain a lead. So that will be the song of the day next week.”
The team is back to full force with first-choice goalkeeper coming back into the starting line-up, but playing away to the table-toppers TUT, will not make the task of winning an easy one.
The University of Fort Hare will play against Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria and will be live on SuperSport at 18:30 on Monday night.
UFH team to face TUT:
Starting XI: Phakamani Mangona, Peter Sijongesonke, Masilive Nyosi, Siphamandla Zanekile, Bathandwa Zondani, Xolani Vuyani, Sindile Mlilo, Ongeziwe Matika, Andile Batyi, Siphelele Qumba, Olwethu Bless
Subs: Emmanuel Mashabela, Siphenkosi Ngxoko, Banele Thompson, Tomas Magagasa, Loyiso Jezile, Zwelethu Banga, Bongisa Bhomba
By Kgoboko Kgoboko
