The side from Bellville was one of the favourites for the 2018 edition, as they lost out to Tuks in the previous season. The side boasts with players from Ajax Cape Town’s youth academy, Cape Town City and players from ABC Motsepe League, with a side that the comprises of players that have played in the MultiChoice Diski and some that have represented the junior national team it was expected that the Cape side would dominate the tournament.
UWC have scored 12 goals this season, with their biggest victory coming in with a 7-1 win over the University of Limpopo. They have conceded eight goals. They have won one game at home, drew one at home and away, lost two away games and one at home. The only positive that can be mentioned for UWC this season is Emmanuel Sebareme who became the first player to win an FNB Player of the Match award in two sporting codes under the banner of Varsity Sports. Other than that it has been a dismal tourney for them. This was a horrible season for UWC and with the ammunition that they possess, it should have been a walk in the park for them. Is it time for a change? We await. Some players did not come to the party and have let down the institution.
We take a look at how they performed this season:
They started the tournament away to North-West University. With a very bad record away from home the Sallie Adams side had that pressure going into the game and they lived up to their name as bad travellers as they were beaten by NWU by two goals to one.
Next up for UWC was a trip to Wits University, a team that they have never lost to since the tournament’s inception. The side from Bellville’s woes were far from over as they lost their second match in succession. Wits won the encounter one goal to nil with a goal in the dying minutes by former Nike International academy graduate Waylon Rooi.
With TUT being banned from having home matches they had to make the trip down to the Mother City and they had one thing on their minds and that was to get three points and go back to the capital city. They dominated the game and were eventual winners and they gave UWC their third loss of 2018 season. This was the worst start that UWC has ever had in the tournament.
The 2015 champions had their backs against the wall going to round four, having not recorded a win in their three opening games they had an opportunity to redeem themselves as they took on rookies University of Limpopo. UWC gave UL a hiding by giving the seven goals with no response from the boys from Turfloop. This was the first time UWC scored many goals and was good to see Phiwokuhle Mpalala on the scoresheet as he has been a shadow of the player he was last season.
After a great display against UL, they travelled to KZN to take on UKZN at Howard Campus and they had done all to ensure that they return home with all the maximum points but the home side had different ideas as they made sure that they would share the spoils and also prove that UWC are definitely bad travellers. The game ended 3-3.
Table-topping UJ was next to come to the Operation Room and they showed why they are on top as they dominated the game from the first whistle with Mokete Mogaile tormenting the home side. The only thing that was working for UWC in that game was their goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner who made sure that his side was not going to lose at home and his heroics were rewarded as he won FNB Player of the Match and the Debonairs Real Deal Save. The score was 1-1 and that put the final nail in UWC’s coffin, as they were then unable to make it to the last four.
They have a mammoth task ahead as they take on current champions Tuks at home on Thursday at 16:00 and the match will be live on SS4.
By Dumisani Koyana
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