Boys are now being separated from the men in the popular Varsity Football’s fourth edition. The going is getting tough for some of the big boys. Football is not played on paper and reputation does not count on the field of play. There were valuable lessons learned in the sixth round of the competition. But the biggest lesson of them all was that one giant is set to fall.
UP-Tuks know when to peak
Tuks have found the right gear and usually when they do this they become too difficult to stop. Tuks are peaking at the right time – just in time for the knockout stages. They are slow starters but they seem to have hit top form towards the closes stages. Their recent run of results suggests that they have now found their feet.
The two-time champions are ready to reclaim their title judging by their 9-1 drubbing of UFH. They have been quiet for too long but they made a big statement in their last game. We all know that they were not playing against world beaters in UFH but the point that I’m trying to make here is that they recorded a big win by scoring lots of goals and that can only be good for confidence.
UJ are as unpredictable as the weather
UJ should wake up and smell the coffee. They are not consistent and at times they look like a fish out of water. You never know which UJ team will show up in this competition. They gave their fans high hopes on day one, but they are just not consistent enough for one to bet his last penny on them to go all the way.
There was a period in the competition when everyone was convinced that the 2014 finalists would have an easy passage to the knockout stages. After just one game UJ were on cloud nine and in their minds they were already through to the last four. But that is not how it works in football. UJ dished out a great performance, putting six past NWU-Mafikeng in the opening match. But things have changed since. They are blowing hot and cold and as things stand we don’t know if they will manage to hang on to their fourth spot or crumble under pressure. Your guess is as good as mine.
Varsity Football is turning into a fairy-tale for CUT
CUT are the surprise package this year and their fairy-tale run continues.
This could be a season of the underdogs. It is not how you start, but how you finish. The log never lies; it’s a true reflection of how teams are judged at every competition worldwide. Who could have guessed that as the debutant debutants, CUT could be in with a big chance to make the semis at this stage of the competition?
NWU-Mafikeng’s destiny remains in their own hands
The boys from the North West refuse roll over and die. They are not the type to bow out in the round robin. Even though they don’t have a squad to go all the way, they are determined to put up a good fight. Their game against defending champions UWC, was nail-biting stuff. It was nerve-wrecking, as they nearly let it slip through their grasp and anything could have happened in that seven-goal thriller. It’s easy to sit here and criticize them for conceding three goals in their 4-3 win over UWC, but at this stage a win is a win. They know that they have to grind out results in their last two games to go through. Winning that game against UWC is all that matters for NWU as they now have control of their semi-final destiny.
Wits still have a long way to go before they can be considered champion material
The less said about Wits the better. Their season is officially over. Who thought that they could be fighting to avoid the wooden spoon instead of competing for a knockout spot? They have not won a game and have registered just one draw and that sums up their campaign. They certainly deserve to be where they are: at the bottom.
UFH are a charity case
The stats speak for itself. This team leaked nine goals when they lost 9-1 to Tuks in their previous game. The other teams always look forward to playing against them, because they know that they will score plenty of goals and also claim the three points. The last game was a clear indication that they are being targeted for easy points.
By Charles Baloyi – Daily Sun and Sunday Sun sports writer
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