After grabbing the first win of the competition, UP-Tuks will be looking to add another three points against UCT in their early push for a semifinal spot.
Tuks have the early lead on the log thanks to a 1-0 win against UFS Kovsies at home on Monday night. They sit ahead of the rest of the pack who all recorded draws.
For Tuks coach Evangelos Vellios it is now all about extending the lead when ever they get the chance in their bid to secure a semifinal spot as soon as possible.
“We have started well, but we are looking to crack on and open up a gap,” he said ahead of his trip down to Cape Town.
“This game against UCT is a great opportunity for us to get another three points and stretch that lead.
“We have set ourselves a goal of getting 12 points as soon as possible ’cause we believe that will be enough to secure a semifinal spot.”
Although Vellios sees a good opportunity in Cape Town for a potential three points it does not mean he is underestimating his opposition.
“It won’t be a walk in the park,” he added.
“We played them at USSA in 2012 and just managed to sneak a 1-0 win, they are a tough team to break down.
Vellios had plenty more insight on his opposition, who managed to secure a late draw thanks to a 91st minute goal against Limpopo.
“I see that they scored a late goal against Limpopo to get a draw, it just shows their resilience – we are going to have to work to break them down, but at the same time we need to shut up shop at the back.
Something else the coach needs to consider when coming down to the Cape in winter is its wet and windy conditions..
“It is going to be different conditions down there, we need to see what it is like on the night when we decide on how we play,” the coach said.
“It is also going to effect our selection policies – we have two senior guys coming back from injury this week.
the experienced midfield combination of Jarryd van den Berg and Dean Wilkinson come back into consideration for Tuks, but the coach admits that he still needs to consider how to use these star players.
“Its good to have those guys back from injury,” the coach said of the returning players.
“I am sure they will play a role in the game – it may be off the bench, but we will just have to assess the conditions.”
This will be Tuks’ first away game in the competition and UCT’s second home game – adding the Vellios’s concerns that the Cape boys will not be a push over.
