Women’s Varsity Football tournament debutants Wits drew 1-1 with Tuks on Thursday to book their place in Saturday’s semifinals and end TUT’s six-year reign, while Tuks, UWC and UJ also progressed.
Wits will meet UWC in the semifinal at the Tuks B-Field, with Tuks taking on UJ at the C-Field. Both matches will kick-off at 11:30.
None of the semifinal matches will be broadcasted on SuperSport, catch the men’s and women’s final on Monday, live on your World of Champions broadcaster, SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209.
DUT 0-7 TUT
Six-time champions TUT thrashed tournament debutants DUT.
TUT had lost 2-0 to Tuks on Wednesday night and drawn 2-2 with Wits earlier on Wednesday, which meant they had to win their final Group A fixture.
They did, but Wits’ draw with Tuks later on meant it wouldn’t be enough.
The Red Machine made the perfect start when Tshogofatso Motlogelwa scored in the second minute from a simple tap-in after DUT goalkeeper Sindisiwe Duma had fumbled a shot.
Motlogelwa struck again in the 13th minute and Pride Nthite then made it 3-0 when her stinging shot was parried into the net by the keeper. It was all TUT in the second half.
Rethabile Mohlouoa scored in the 46th minute before Nthite completed her brace.
Yolisa Ntsabo gave TUT a 6-0 lead in the 63rd minute after a howler from Duma, who kicked her own defender in the face, with the ball popping up for a tap-in.
With the floodgates well and truly open, Motlogelwa ran straight through the DUT midfield to score her hat-trick goal and ensure she received the FNB Player of the Match award.
UJ 2-1 NWU
UJ booked their place in the semifinals with a hard-fought victory at Tuks Stadium.
Kelebogile Putu and Petunia Mabasa scored either side of half-time to help the Orange Army finish their Group B campaign with six points.
It was a tightly contested first half as the teams gave little away.
The impact of playing two group games in one day took its toll on the players, some of whom battled with cramps.
Rebaone Mojahi and captain Tsholofelo Nameleng struggled in midfield for NWU and could not get their team going.
While UJ didn’t have the firepower that saw them put five past UL earlier in the day, they did take a 1-0 lead when Putu scored three minutes into first-half stoppage time from Amanda Mthandi’s assist.
That left NWU with a mountain to climb in the second half, but it took them just three minutes to equalise through Lerato Adams’ header from a rebound.
UJ coach Anna Monate was furious with her team for conceding a goal from a set-piece in such a manner, but an accidental header from Mabasa in the 56th minute put a smile back on her face.
UL 0-5 UWC
Unbeaten UWC secured top spot in Group B with a big win at the Tuks B-Field.
Amogelang Motau scored after just five minutes and Khanya Xesi’s 11th-minute penalty saw UWC take a 2-0 lead into half time.
UL suffered a big setback in the first half when goalkeeper Kgothatso Manamela was stretched off and with no reserve keeper on the bench, a field player was forced to stand in.
Molatelo Kobo scored UWC’s third goal early in the second half, before Xesi struck twice to complete her hat-trick and make it 5-0.
She was rewarded for her efforts with the FNB Player of the Match award.
TUKS 1-1 WITS
This draw at Tuks Stadium felt like a win for Wits as it sent them through to the semifinals at the expense of champions TUT.
Ayanda Mnyembane scored Wits’ vital goal in the 59th minute after Betty Mallela had found the back of the net for Tuks in the 27th.
Unbeaten Tuks finished top of the Group A log with seven points, with Wits on five and TUT on four.
Tuks had already qualified for the semifinals coming into this match but played like a team that needed to win the game.
They got it right when Mallela scored a cracker from a free-kick to beat Nthabiseng Ramaisa in the Wits goal.
Wits improved in the second half and pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
It came from Mnyembane, who headed in a well-taken corner by Shakeerah Jacobs in the 59th minute. When the final whistle blew, Wits’ players celebrated wildly with their technical team.
Tuks' Wendy Shongwe was named the FNB Player of the Match.
ROUND 4 FIXTURES (Saturday, 2 October):
Seventh-place playoff
DUT vs UL (10:00, Tuks C-Field)
Fifth-place playoff
TUT vs NWU (10:00, Tuks B-Field)
Semifinal
Wits vs UWC (11:30, Tuks B-Field)
Semifinal
Tuks vs UJ (11:30, Tuks C-Field)