NWU football team beats CUT in Varsity Cup match

The North-West University’s (NWU) football team on 17 August beat the team of the Central University of Technology (CUT) 2-1 to move to third place on the 2023 Varsity Football tournament log.

As anticipated, the clash in Mahikeng was a battle of wits and athleticism.

Phenyo Mokgothu, a NWU spokesperson, predicted before the match the ability of NWU coach, Amos Xabanisa, and CUT coach, Petrus Rakometsi, to make quick adjustments and the players’ determination to seize opportunities would play a role in the outcome. 

Earlier in the week Xabanisa said: “The team just has to stay focused and apply the principles and techniques they have been working on. I am very positive about this upcoming match and know they have a good chance at winning”.

This approach appeared to have paid off in the match, which demanded a more clinical performance than what the Eagles displayed when they lost 1-2 against the Tshwane University of Technology.

Lesego Motsepe, one of the players, said before the match that the NWU-CUT fixture was an opportunity for the team to redeem itself. He was confident of a win even before the kick-off.

North-West University: Tournament history 

The NWU Eagles started their tournament on 27 July with a goalless draw against the University of Johannesburg (UJ), but had a triumphant win against the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) on 3 August, with a score of 3-0. 

Unfortunately, their winning ways were short-lived after their match against the TUT on 10 August. The nail-biting match ended 1-2 in favour of TUT and the NWU dropped to the 4th position on the Varsity Football log. 

Xabanisa told threestreamsmedia that even though the team performed well, it can do better. According to him the players had to work on concentrating, especially at critical moments during matches.

Varsity Sports South Africa identified key players to watch, which include Heaven Sereetsi, who is a versatile attacking winger for the NWU. He has earned top awards, such as the Best Player in the North West ABC Motsepe league. 

Kamogelo Matane, the NWU goalkeeper, was also identified as a player to watch after he thwarted every attempt made by the opposing team with remarkable agility and precision in the match against VUT.

Lesego Motsepe was announced as the FNB Player of the Match in the game against VUT and should also be a key player to watch.

“The tournament is really a prestigious event for every player participating in it,” Motsepe said.

“I think the team and I handled the pressure that comes with the tournament really well, which resulted in the great performance we put on against VUT, and the recognition I got for player of the match boils down to the efforts my teammates put out during the game.”

Central University of Technology: Tournament history

CUT’s previous match ended with a 1-1 draw against the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on 27 July, and a most recent goalless draw against the University of Fort Hare (UFH) on 10 August. CUT also experienced a devastating setback in their match against TUT, losing 2-6 on 3 August. CUT is currently 8th on the league’s log. A key player to watch is Lefa Matlase, who dominated the left side of the field as a secondary winger in the match against UFH.

• This news report was updated with the match results.