With the final game looming, the University of the Western Cape team are under tremendous pressure to get maximum points in the hope that they will finish in the top four and secure a semi-final spot. After the dramatic 4-3 loss away at NWU-Mafikeng last Monday, the UWC team has dropped to fifth position on the log.
Coach Salie Adams has attributed Monday’s loss to a poor start to the game. “We conceded our first goal in the first thirty seconds, the guys tried to recover and played well for the next 20 minutes and then we conceded three goals within a space of six minutes.”
The boys fought their way back trying to close the gap and after scoring two goals and North West scoring an own goal, the game ended with a one goal difference. Adams said that the the team is struggling to act as a cohesive unit and despite making changes to the line-up, “ the boys just weren’t coming together as a unit.”
UWC has not lost hope of reaching the semis but will have to pull out all the stops when they take on pace-setters from Tshwane University of Technology at home on Monday 29 August.
“We have to win the next game to stand a chance to get into the top four, but then we need to wait to see the results of the other games before we know if we will be in the final,” said Adams.
In the upcoming game Adams said as a coach, his job now is to get the team together. “One of the weaknesses of the team is that we have good quality players but we don’t have a team. All I have to do is get the team training and playing together as a unit.”
With the game only three days away, Adams and his boys will have to come together quickly to stand a chance against the TUT side who will be all too eager to beat the reigning Varsity Football champions on their home ground, where they lost in the final last year.
Kick-off is at 16h30 at UWC Sport Stadium and the match will be live on SuperSport channel 210.
UWC starting XI: Brent Layman, Clinton Herwel, Akhona Bonga, Masibulele Maseti, Eathon Swartz, Nhlanhla Manana, Kwanele Nocanda,Giovani Gaffoor, Thulani Mkosi, Phiwokuhle Mphalala, Akona Cawe
Subs: Renaldo Learner, Aghmat Ceres, Keenan Davis, Lwando Ngqwemla, Chad Smith, Charlton Fritz, Josh Silent
By Zandile Bangani
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