UP-Tuks will face TUT on Thursday, 24 July in a much-anticipated Pretoria derby. Varsity Sports could certainly not have asked for a better start to the tournament as the both teams battled it out in the USSAFootball final.
“Round one” belonged to TUT as they won 5-4 in a penalty shootout after both teams failed to score a goal during 70 minutes of play. It is certainly a harsh way to lose any final.
To say that next Thursday’s match is a grudge match might be dramatic, but know this both teams have something to prove.
Lawrence Ntswane, the UP-Tuks captain, is realistic about what awaits them.
“It is going to be a challenging and hyped up game. The important thing for us will be not to let our emotions get the better of us. I am not one to make bold predictions but this I can promise: ‘It won’t be a goalless draw. There will be a lot of goals scored.”
Ntswane has got a just reason to feel confident. During the USSAFootball tournament, they managed to score 15 goals in six games and only conceded one. The final against TUT was the only time they did not score. In the whole tournament Tuks only conceded one goal which was an own goal.
There are those who consider this to be one of the best teams in the history of TuksFootball.
“It certainly helps that we have played together as a team for quite a while now. We need to understand and respect each other. Everybody knows what their role is.
“What sets us aside from other teams is the type of football we play. I don’t want to boast, but there are very few teams that can match our type of football. Our coaching staff made it clear that we must be able to adjust to all kinds of playing styles. So on any given day, we can play a different kind of football which makes us very unpredictable.”
Ntswane won’t say it himself, but as captain and player, he is an integral part of the team’s success. Apart from being an outstanding footballer, it is due to an important philosophy his mum has taught him.
“I was still young when she told me that if any opportunity should arise I should embrace the opportunity to the best of my ability as you never know what might happen tomorrow. So every time I take to the field I try and seize the moment. Which is not difficult for me as I love football. For me, it will never just be a sport; football is a way for me to express myself. It makes me happy and the happier I am, the better I play.”
Ntswane certainly came through the TuksFootball ranks, having matriculated at TuksSport High School means that he has played for the university teams the age of 16. He was also part of the UP-Tuks teams that won the Varsity Tournament in 2013 and 2014 and won three USSA titles.
It is also the second time that he will be part of the USSAFootball national team that will compete at the World Students Games. The first time was in 2015 in Korea. The South African team finished sixth in the tournament which according to Ntswane was quite an achievement as in the previous 12 years no South African team was able to finish in the top eight.
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