UFS prepared to go to the trenches against NWU in semi-final

Siraj Kamedien
Sep 24
2 min read

Updated: Sep 25

UFS Football are confident that they can book their place in the final of the Varsity Football 2025 competition on Thursday night, and they are more than prepared to fight tooth and nail to make it happen.

Last week, the Blues missed out on a home semi-final when they went down 2-1 to the Tshwane University of Technology. While they are still in the playoffs, their path has become tougher as they now have to travel to Mahikeng to face NWU Football, a side they managed to beat 1-0 earlier in the campaign.

One thing UFS have shown this season is their willingness to got to the trenches for each other. That fighting spirit and character has seen them punch well above their weight throughout the competition.

Although the loss to TUT was a setback, captain Iviwe Dyabuza admitted his side didn’t show enough character in that match but believes it’s something they can put right.

“I think one of the biggest factors in our loss last week was that we failed to show character during the game. That’s something we hold very close to our hearts to always display character. It was a problem for us, but it’s something we can fix as a team going into this game,” Dyabuza said.

The speedy left-back also cautioned that NWU will be no pushovers in Mahikeng, but they will be prepared for what is to come.

“Going to Mahikeng, we’re expecting a physical game, a game that will be fast and intense. But we’re preparing ourselves for anything that might come our way. We were there last season and it didn’t end well, so we know what to expect.

“By God’s grace, we’re hoping for a positive result. Winning would mean a lot because it would be the first time our team reaches a Varsity Football final.

“We’re approaching this game like a final because we want to get ourselves into the championship match to show what we can really do.”