Tuks beat six-time Varsity Football women’s champions TUT 2-0 at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday, while there were also Round 1 wins for Wits, NWU and UWC.
WITS 5 DUT 1
Both of these teams made their tournament debut but it was Wits who made it look effortless with a big Group A win at the Tuks B-Field.
Nomathemba Thwala scored two first-half goals and received the FNB Player of the Match award.
This was a battle between friends, Wits coach Nthabeleng Modiko and her DUT counterpart Taoni Bhanda, but there was no friendship on the pitch as Wits ripped DUT to shreds in the first half.
Thwala had the honour of scoring the first goal of the tournament, tapping in an assist from Shakeerah Jacobs in the 19th minute. Soon after, she scored an early contender for goal of the tournament with a cracker from outside the box.
DUT only had one shot on target in the first half and were lucky to concede just two goals, with goalkeeper Sindisiwe Duma making a couple of brilliant saves.
But Sakhi Mnomiya scored two second-half goals in quick succession to make it 4-0, before Nokwazi Sibiya struck for DUT, although there was a hint of offside.
Hazel Ngwala then scored Wits’ fifth goal from a corner with two minutes remaining to seal the deal.
NWU 2 UL 0
NWU kicked off their campaign with a controversial Group B win at the Tuks B-Field.
In the 26th minute of the match, Tshenolo Kgashwane’s shot appeared to hit the side netting but the referee pointed to the centre line.
UL players, including goalkeeper and captain Kgothatso Manamela, insisted this was the case. However, the match officials ruled that the ball had gone in and then slipped through the net.
The incident overshadowed the first half, which NMU dominated.
Rebaone Mojahi terrorised the UL defenders with her blistering pace, while captain Tsholofelo Nameleng dictated the terms in the middle of the park. The team from Polokwane hardly strung two passes together.
The experience of Manamela, who plays in the Hollywoodbets Super League for the First Touch Academy, showed in the UL goal as she denied Nameleng and Bonolo Kgomotshwana in the second half.
But NWU did score again through Rebaone Mojahi in the 50th minute and were able to defend their two-goal lead.
NWU’s Tshenolo Kgashwane won the FNB Player of the Match award.
UJ 1 UWC 3
UWC fired a warning shot to the rest of the field with a clinical performance in a Group B match at Tuks Stadium.
It was a difficult Varsity Football debut for UJ’s Anna Monate, the oldest coach in the tournament at 53. She was up against UWC coach and Banyana Banyana assistant coach Thinasonke Mbuli, who is the most qualified coach in the tournament with a Caf A license.
Rakgadi Kekana gave UJ a 1-0 lead after 13 minutes when heading in Amanda Mthandi’s corner.
But UWC gradually got back into the game and started asking questions of the UJ defence.
On the stroke of half-time, Kelebogile Putu saw her shot pushed onto the post with a fingertip by UWC goalkeeper Regiri Ngobeni. Molatelo Kobo then scored the equaliser with the last kick of the first half from a defence-splitting pass by Khanya Xesi three minutes into added time.
In the 49th minute, UWC scored a beautiful team goal with Babalwa Mngxunya, Kobo and Smith exchanging passes to unlock the UJ defence. It was Kobo who set Smith up to make it 2-1.
Xesi ended UJ’s hopes of a comeback with a stunning goal on the edge of the 18-yard box in the 68th minute.
Kobo was named the FNB Player of the Match.
TUT 0 TUKS 2
Tuks claimed the bragging rights in the Tshwane derby with an impressive Group A win at Tuks Stadium.
Wendy Shongwe and Nthabiseng Mlotshwa scored either side of half-time.
Shongwe could have given Tuks an early lead but her effort hit the post in the second minute. Mlotshwa then missed a one-on-one with TUT goalkeeper Zusiphe Hlanekela in the 17th minute.
However, Shongwe did put her side in the lead in the 27th minute with a beautiful long-range effort.
TUT did not play like a team that have won six titles in a row. They did not have a single goal attempt in the first half, while Tuks were unlucky not to score more than once.
Tuks continued from where they left off in the second half, with Mlotshwa scoring from a tight angle in the 36th minute after being set up by Mlotshwa.
Shongwe was named the FNB Player of the Match.
Varsity Football women’s fixtures Rounds 2 & 3 (Thursday, 30 September):
Round 2
Tuks vs DUT – Group A (10:00, Tuks B-Field)
UJ vs UL – Group B (10:00, Tuks Stadium, SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209)
UWC vs NWU – Group B (11:30, Tuks B-Field)
TUT vs Wits – Group A (11:30, Tuks Stadium, SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209)
Round 3
DUT vs TUT – Group A (17:00, Tuks B-Field)
UJ vs NWU – Group B (17:00, Tuks Stadium, SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209)
UL vs UWC – Group B (18:30, Tuks B-Field)
Tuks vs Wits – Group A (18:30, Tuks Stadium, SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209)
Varsity Football women’s log, fixtures and results
By Charles Baloyi
Photos: Catherine Kotze/Brendan Croft/Varsity Sport
