BLOEMFONTEIN – The Varsity Football men’s defending champions, the University of the Free State (UFS), remain winless following back-to-back losses in the ongoing competition as they continue to commit costly errors. Their narrow 1 – 0 defeat against the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) last Friday added to their woes after a heavy 4 – 2 loss to the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) in their opening fixture of the tournament.
The Kovsies have suffered two defeats on their home turf of Shimla Park, raising grave concern about their ability to exploit home advantage. The Mokete Tsotetsi-led charges remain rooted at the bottom of the log alongside the University of Limpopo, with a poor defensive record of conceding five goals.
The UFS men’s next match is scheduled for Friday in Bloemfontein against the second-placed Wits, who are among three undefeated teams, including the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Wits are tied with the UWC on four points, while the UJ are leading the log with six points.
Another loss for Tsotetsi will plunge his team into a deeper crisis and intensify relegation prospects. He suffers a headache as the team loses ground in the tournament. Going into the upcoming fixture against high-riding Wits, the UFS camp must be clinical in the striking department while avoiding costly errors that saw them concede from a penalty in their previous match against TUT.

The Kovsies are desperate for a win to ease the pressure following two losses. The upcoming fixture against Wits, another Gauteng team, is scheduled to kick off at 17:00. Table-toppers UJ welcome the University of Limpopo to the Soweto Stadium, a fixture in which the hosts are favourites to collect maximum points and extend their lead at the summit. Kick-off is at 18:30. Another intriguing match will see UWC entertain Durban University of Technology (DUT) in the Mother City, also at 18:30.

All eyes are on the Gauteng derby of the competition featuring UP-Tuks and TUT at Tuks Stadium in Pretoria. Kick-off is at 19:15. Both sides have lost one game and are eager to consolidate their positions on the table.