#TuksFootball: The Tuks team aims to stop losing against TUT at home

Posted on July 23, 2019

If the players of TuksFootball could change one Varsity Tournament statistic on Thursday, it would undoubtedly be to try and beat TUT at home. 

Last year's champions, TUT, seems somehow to have fine-tuned the art of beating Tuks on their home ground. In 2018's first Varsity encounter, the visitors managed to beat Tuks 2-1. Later on in the semi-final, TUT was again victorious, winning 1-0. 

According to Tuks's captain, Simbongile Njokwe, Thursday's game will be all about which team makes the most of its chances.

"Football is a game of opportunities. You can dominate all you want, but if you are not able to score goals, you will never win. Tuks is a team that can and will create goal scoring chances, so it is all going to boil down to conversion."

Another statistic that might worry Tuks supporters is how the team somehow always seems to be off to a slow start in the Varsity Tournament. During the previous two seasons, Tuks lagged at the bottom half of the log after their first three games. Then things suddenly, seem to click on the field, and they start to dominate. 

Njokwe honestly admits he can't explain why it keeps on happening. Adding they are certainly not doing so on purpose.  

"I think since 2013, Tuks has been off to a slow start in the Varsity Tournament. Every year the plan is to do things differently, but then we find ourselves with the back against the wall again. We are going to try our best to do things differently this time around." 

According to Njokwe, there is no more significant honour than to captain Tuks.

"Being a captain can be intimidating as TuksFootball has got a proud history of winning. It means there are 'big boots' to be filled when you the captain. I certainly don't want to be remembered as the captain that led the team down.

"I don't intend to complicate matters. My philosophy is quite simple. I will never expect any player to do what I am not prepared to do. It means as a captain, my first priority will always be to serve the team."

According to Njokwe, playing football will always be for him more than only winning games. 

"Getting the opportunity to play football helped me to become a better person. During games and training, I have learned to interact with people with integrity and respect. It is lessons I try and apply every moment of every day because as football players, we should never forget that we are considered to be role models."

The kickoff for Thursday's Varsity game at Tuks is 18:15.

- Author Wilhelm de Swardt

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