Ten years—or, to put it another way, 3,650 days—is how long it took for the Tuks men’s football team to qualify for the Varsity Tournament final again.
This historic moment unfolded in Soweto on Friday night when Tuks scored the winning goal against UJ in the semifinal, just before nine o’clock, in the dying moments of the match. Tuks won 1–0.
TUT defeated Wits by the same scoreline in the other semifinal. Ironically, Tuks and TUT also met in the 2017 final. That match is remembered for the tempers that flared among TUT spectators after Tuks built a 2–0 lead. To date, that remains the only time the two teams have clashed in a Varsity final. It is also the last time Tuks played in a final.
Tracking down Varsity football statistics is no easy task, but if the internet is to be believed, Tuks and TUT have met 13 times in the tournament. TUT won six times and Tuks three, while four matches ended in a draw.
Tuks has won every final it has contested. TUT has appeared in the final seven times, winning four and losing three. TUT’s four final victories are the most in Varsity football history. Tuks won three titles, while UWC won twice, and Northwest and the Kovsies once each.
But as the saying goes, statistics are just numbers. At best, they can indicate what to expect, yet no match has ever been won on paper or on a screen. Matches are decided on the field. The deciding factor is almost always guts—and the Tuks team has plenty. They proved this on Friday in the semifinal against UJ. The winning goal came only in the 86th minute.
Tuks captain Paballo Mamabola admits that the moment the final whistle blew and the team realised they had made it to the final is difficult to describe.
“Emotions ran high. That is understandable. Qualifying for the Varsity final for the first time in ten years is almost historic. I am still struggling to find the right adjectives to describe my emotions.”
As to beating UJ for a second time within eight days, Mamabola said, “Winning an away game is never easy. The odds are almost always stacked against you, but for us as a team, that actually fuels our energy. It’s a fight we wanted to win. I’d almost say that on Friday night in Soweto, we unleashed a certain fire. That’s why we won.
“But the Varsity battle is far from won. We want to be crowned champions. It would be a fitting reward for all the hard work we’ve put in. Friday’s match against TUT isn’t just another final; it’s a derby. Both teams will have no shortage of motivation. That’s why we need to make sure we’re in the right frame of mind—emotionally and mentally. Each of us will have to play with passion.”
According to Joshua Wood, Friday night is not just another match.
“It’s a final. A war. We are ready to fight to bring respect to the coveted ‘Tuks Stripes’. Doing so means everyone needs to step up and do whatever it takes to bring the trophy home.”
Kickoff for Friday’s final at Tuks is 19:00.
