Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) coach Bushy Moloi saw his side lose a point with the very last kick of the game, just a minute after celebrating what they thought was a point-saving equaliser in last week’s Tshwane derby. The three points saw the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) climb above TUT on the log and Varsity Football caught up with Moloi to discuss his side’s last-minute heartbreak, and what it means for the Red Machine’s semi-final chances and his own Premier Soccer League coaching ambitions.
Varsity Football: This was your first loss of the season and at Tuks stadium…
Moloi: We made a change to the team that has been doing well, we looked into having a different team altogether because if you play in this tournament and you don’t change, the teams will prepare better than you. We knew that they don’t have any miracles, the only thing they did today was to score two goals against us. It is a painful one, we will take a loss against the University of Pretoria, and they wanted it more. We made technical changes and it benefited us, my boys are still young, for some of them, it was the first time they play on national TV. For me it’s also the development part, that’s why I get disappointed when I see people wanting to win at all costs. It’s not about winning at all costs, it’s about how many players are we going to put in the national system. We’ve done that, we got a good record. I don’t know about the other team.
Varsity Football: How did you react to their lead?
Moloi: In their past three games they’ve been doing the same thing, I was not worried about the lead. They would do that and we would come back at the end, unfortunately, today they did it to us. We are building, the scorer is still a new player you can check his height, and don’t be surprised if he goes to NFD [Motsepe Foundation Championship] or PSL after this tournament because that’s what we want. I mean how many are coming from this side [UP-Tuks] and they are playing in the NFD or even the PSL? I am disappointed at what transpired at the end, although it is football. We wanted to make that it does not happen, either to any other team that comes to play here. How many games are they now playing at home? Next week they are playing at home? We don’t know why, if a person does a fixture and it is like that, what are they saying to us? We play football and good luck to them, maybe they might not go to the semi-final.
Varsity Football: This loss takes you down to fifth and you have North West and UFS coming up.
Moloi: Maybe it is good for me to lose now. We will see. If [we get] a point against Mafikeng it means I must win against UFS. The last game will be the decider.
Varsity Football: Your thoughts on the referee tonight?
Moloi: As long as we don’t have VAR, we will always have thousands of coaches and referees. If 500 or a thousand saw a penalty and I am thousand-and-one, then the referee is the person that makes the decision, but he was good he was excellent. I must check if their last goal was not offside, the person that received the ball wasn’t coming from an offside position because I saw the linesman was way behind. It happens in football, we will take all this type of thing. But this is development at its best, I appreciate what the University of Pretoria is doing, for the first time they fought like a serious tower and I wish them well.
Varsity Football: What’s your overall feedback on the 2022 Varsity Football tournament?
Moloi: This tournament changes every time. Look, UJ was buzzing last year. We only lost one game, I’m not okay today because of this loss. We will do better when we go to Mafikeng.
Varsity Football: Are we going to see you again in the PSL?
Moloi: I won’t go to the PSL and be MDC [DStv Diski Challenge] coach, nah nah. I think I deserve much better. Being an assistant coach and head coach of MDC is not a bad idea. I would love to be in the first team because I have a lot of experience now.” Every year we put a good performance, it is through these tournaments to see how we develop. Let us give both a chance. It is loading, that is one for the future, and it is loading. I don’t know whether Ba Bina Noko [Sekhukhune United], there are a lot of coaches out there, maybe I will be there as well. I went to Polokwane and we came back with a trophy for the first time. I don’t know where they [Baroka FC] are now. Is it NFD? I have never seen them playing, when I was there they were playing in the PSL. I don’t know what made them go to Motsepe Foundation, I am still here. I would take an offer from any PSL team now. I am ready.
Varsity Football: Thanks Bushy and good luck for the rest of the tournament.
TUT face third-placed NWU in a tricky away fixture at the Mafikeng Stadium at 19:15 this week. The match will be live broadcast on SuperSport 4.
You can get information on how to get tickets here.
By Lehlogonolo Ditshego
