After crucial losses in the ongoing Varsity Football men’s competition, two teams of Free State universities are pressured to make amends in fixtures taking place on Thursday, 22 August.
The University of the Free State (UFS) will face the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), and the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, take on the North-West University (NWU).
Both matches will take place in Bloemfontein, with the CUT-NWU fixture kicking off at 18:30, followed by the Kovsie-VUT match at 19:15.
Kovsies’ 1 – 2 loss on home turf against the high-riding University of Pretoria (UP) Tuks was the first in the tournament. The result helped the opposition along the road to remaining the only unbeaten squad in the competition after four rounds of matches played.
CUT was defeated 1 – 4 by the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
The local university sides are compelled to unleash their full potential to win in the three remaining matches. Both Bloemfontein sides are equally desperate for a win to secure a slot in the semifinals. The UWC and NWU, on the other hand, are two clubs enjoying good prospects to qualify for the semifinals. They too, however, will leave nothing to chance in their crucial fixtures.
The Kovsie lads in particular face the prospect of not qualifying for the semifinals if they lose against the free-scoring VUT team, who is boasting a healthy record of ten goals after just four matches.
The CUT are out to bet it all on their match-up against the NWU, to ease their dreaded situation at the bottom of the log.
CUT is one of the winless teams, which include the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) – the defending champion who earned a fourth title by beating the University of Johannesburg (UJ) 5 – 4 via penalties in last year’s final.
The UWC takes on the leaders, the UP’s Tuks, who needs a win and draw to affirm a berth in the semifinals scheduled for Thursday, 12 September.
