story by Happy Modise
Chapter two of restoring Tuks’s pride in university football will start Thursday evening in Bloemfontein when the team faces off against CUT in the Varsity Tournament.
“We are going to come out ‘guns blazing’. Be at our best. We owe it to our fans, actually everyone at the University of Pretoria, for doing so. To succeed, we need to be focussed on what we practised during training and not worry about what our opponents do or don’t do,” explained Tuks’s captain, Tshiamo Mokoena.
Mokoena believes being captain boils down to more than just leading by example.
“I see myself as a mentor and motivator because I want Tuks to be a cohesive team. One in which everyone is willing to give their all. A good captain is someone who knows his teammates. Who can immediately pick up when something is wrong and know how to handle the situation. I would generally remind a player of the good things he has done in the past and let him know it is OK for a player to have an off day. It happens to the best.”
According to Mokoena, football has always been his favourite sport.
“I was still in the primary when I went to watch my brother play. That is where my love for football came from. My brother’s heroics motivated me to also want to play. When in high school, I got serious about football. My brother taught me that if you do the long, hard hours in training, you will reap the award during a game.
“I play as a midfielder for Tuks, bringing momentum to the team. My best trait as a footballer is the ability to take control of the game when it is intense. I understand the game and can adapt my play, at an instance, to what is happening on the field.”
As things stand after round one of the Varsity Tournament, Tuks and Kovsies are the only unbeaten teams. CUT played to a 0-0 draw against DUT.
Kickoff for Thursday’s game in Bloemfontein is at 18:30.