Wits endured a disastrous 2013 Varsity Football campaign but have vowed to return stronger than ever as they aim to reach the knockouts.
Wits secured their place in the 2015 showpiece by finishing fourth in the USSA Nationals and believe they should be a team to watch after enduring a tough task of regaining their Varsity Football status.
“It was not a very nice introduction for us in 2013 and we have made it a mission to regain our spot in the event and raise the name of our institution once again.
“Obviously we have some confidence because of our performance at the Nationals in December 2014 but this is a different ball game. We may have finished above some of these teams then but they could have improved their squad over the past few months and become a new challenge this time around.
“However, we will be ready for whatever is thrown at us and people should look out for us,” team manager Sanele Nene told varsitysportssa.com.
Their coach Karabo Mogudi and central defender Kaizer Maphanga are currently with the USSA Football National Team in the 28th Universiade in Gwangju, Korea and return home on July, 14 to join up with the rest of the squad.
Nene, along with the rest of the technical staff, has been implementing plans left by Mogudi in order to ensure the team reaches their required targets while adapting to different styles of play.
“Karabo left us a blueprint before he left and we are making sure we respect his requests by putting the boys through their paces. Part of the preparations includes warm-up matches and we have already had one against Orlando Pirates. We are still in the process of negotiating a few more matches but our preparation is definitely on track.
“We know Varsity Football is a brilliant platform for the players to make themselves known and launch their careers. If you look back at the 2013 event, there are a number of those players who are currently playing in the PSL and then there’s Thabo Mnyamane – who has gone from playing for NWU-Mafikeng in the tournament to Bafana Bafana in March 2015,” he added.
Wits first objective will be to reach the knockout phase of the competition but for that to happen, they will need to ensure they rack up more than the three points they did in 2013.
