The result of clashes from last year’s Varsity Football tournament may repeat itself for two Free State universities’ men football teams, namely the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State.
It is very likely to unfold with despair for the CUT team, who are now facing relegation from South Africa’s premier university football competition.
The Kovsie boys still have a glimmer of hope to qualify for the semifinal – depending on the outcomes in their two crucial remaining fixtures and matches of which their oppositions who are vying to progress to the semifinal and go all the way to lift the coveted trophy.
The UFS men will play their last fixture against home town rivals, the CUT.
This will be a repeat of last year, which ended with Kovsie winning but failing to qualify. These results, however, favoured other clubs in last year’s final matches.
Both Free State university sides failed to reach the semifinal, which was contested by the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the University of Johannesburg (UJ), and North-West University (NWU).
The UFS lads have a chance to secure a slot in the top four if they win another important match against the UWC, who are the current log leaders, with two points needed to firmly confirm a semifinal berth. The UFS is under immense pressure to qualify for the semifinals, just like the previous term.
The CUT is away to fellow relegation-bound and last year’s champions, the TUT, who have won the trophy a record of four times. Last year, the CUT finished second to last in the tournament, without a win, managing to collect just two points in fixtures they drew against the University of Fort Hare (UFH) and the UWC.
Ben Kraai of CUT (red) tussles for the ball with counterparts of UWC during the teams Varsity Football
As a finalist in the 2022 season’s Varsity Football championship, the Kovsie men’s are under pressure to emulate successful.
The team’s head coach, Tebogo Motsamai, will be hoping his warriors convert goal-scoring chances they create and guard against conceding in the two all-important matches.
His team is desperate for goals to bolster their chances to qualify for this year’s semifinal, and continue the hunt for the players’ maiden Varsity Football trophy.
