The only two unbeaten Varsity Football sides will do battle in a semifinal on Monday as table-topping TUT face the NMMU Madibaz in Pretoria.
The teams squared off at the same venue just two weeks ago, when the Madibaz scraped a dramatic 2-2 draw with a last-gasp goal from defender Niven Kops, and they are expecting another major challenge against the form side in the competition.
The Port Elizabeth side have claimed six man of the match awards from their seven league matches this season, but the challenge they face in the semifinal against TUT is likely to be their greatest yet.
Team manager Mark Tommy said that the team has thrived in tough situations which have forced them to push themselves, and he expects the same in Pretoria on Monday.
“Varsity Football has certainly changed the face of University Sport and opened new opportunities for both players and officials. The past few months of preparation and competition has demanded that everybody involved upped their game. I am very pleased with the way Madibaz has responded to the challenge both on and off the field,” he said.
Tommy added that one thing the Madibaz fans can count on is the fact that their team will fight hard until the final whistle, no matter the opposition.
“Everybody knows about Madibaz Football, our never say die approach and cannot feel comfortable knowing that they have to play Madibaz,” he said.
This Varsity Football campaign has put NMMU on the map as a force in university football in South Africa, and they are determined to follow through by handing TUT their first defeat of the competition to reach the final.
By Shalom Khandanisa
