The Varsity Football’s fifth edition is now down to four teams. It has been a competitive tournament but we are now left with just two matches before the final, which is scheduled for 28 September. The round robin matches are over and there were a lot of things that we learned in the final round of the round robin matches.
It’s the same old story for NWU
They sound like a broken record. Every year they promise a lot but deliver little. It’s the same story for them every year as they promise to win the tournament only to crash out in the round robin stage. It’s been five years of Varsity Football, but they are yet to make the final and so we wait for another year to hear another promise. They are full of empty promises. NWU finished fifth on the log table with 11 points, one point below fourth-placed CUT.
UP-Tuks have finally found their top gear
It’s not how you start but how you finish. The race is not over yet but Tuks seem to have rediscovered their top gear. They are peaking at the right time. The knockout stage is a different stage altogether and it requires mental toughness – a quality that they possess in their squad. Form counts for nothing in the elimination rounds – it’s all about experience and Tuks appear to have it.
UWC shook off their ‘bad travellers’ tag
Regardless of what will happen to them in the semis against Tuks, UWC finally tasted a win away from their Operation Room. The 5-1 victory over UJ is the best result of Round Seven and no one will take that away from them. They are a dangerous team and on their day they make wonders. I take my hat off to them for a job well done. UJ is not a mediocre team and to dispatch them like that with class at home is a great achievement.
CUT technical team are bad losers
We know that the stakes are high in Varsity Football, and one wrong move could cost teams dearly. But what CUT technical team did following their 1-0 loss to Tuks in their last round robin match is disappointing for the lack of a better word. Despite the defeat they still snuck into the semis and they have to be commended for that. But the coaches’ behaviour after the game and their refusal to give interviews to the members of the media is not good for the game. Judge a good coach after he loses a game a game. Varsity Football is not about sour grapes it’s about sportsmanship. In football we win some, lose some, and CUT’s coaches lost more than just a match.
UFH are wooden spoon champions
UFH have the worst defensive record, as they lost all of their seven matches, conceding 24 goals. The less said about them the better. It was a season to forget as they were targeted for easy points. It’s a sad story for them but we hope that they will come back an improved team in the near future.
UJ were like a fish out of water in the 2017 edition
You never know which UJ team will turn out in their matches at this year’s tournament. They huffed and puffed. They were a technically sound team without a doubt. But their biggest downfall is their inconsistency. Losing 5-1 to UWC condemned them to worst defeat of the season. Better luck next time it would have great to see them in the semis.
By Charles Baloyi – Daily Sun and Sunday Sun sports writer
