It may be a new season of Varsity Football but it is looking eerily similar to last season for UP-Tuks as the former two-time champions are yet to win a match and are languishing second-from-bottom on the log.

Two draws [against TUT and NWU] and a loss to UJ is all that the University of Pretoria have to show for their efforts, but UP-Tuks head coach, Tlisane Motaung, insists that they can turn their fortunes around.
“Our problem is that we are just not finding the back of the net. The goalkeepers of UJ and NWU-Mafikeng were both awarded man of the match, which tells you that we are putting pressure on the keepers but we are just not able to get past them,” said Motaung.

“The thing is that these same players scored 15 goals in seven matches at USSA earlier this year so they are definitely capable of scoring goals. We just need to be more clinical and ensure we score. The frontrunners are only five points ahead of us so we are still most certainly still in this tournament,” he added.

UP-Tuks will have a bye this week [with their Round Four match against UFH being postponed] as five of their players – Jeremiah Nkwana, Dylan Paterson, Lawrance Ntswane, Lodumo Nkebe, Khumbulani Siluma – have been selected to represent Team SA at the World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan from 13-30 August. 

Motaung wished his players well ahead of the World University Games.
“This is a huge honour for these players. They have worked hard to be selected for Team SA and they know what is expected of them. We are proud of them and will be rooting for them during the competition,” said a proud Motaung.

UP-Tuks will be back in action on Thursday, 24 August as they host Wits at the Tuks Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 16:00 and the match will be televised.

By Dan Lombard