As the Varsity Football season approaches its climax, all eyes will be on the University of the Western Cape (UWC) as they take on three-time champions the University of Pretoria (Tuks) in a highly anticipated semi-final this week.

UWC will travel to Pretoria in fine form after trouncing Vaal University of Technology 5-0 last week in the round-robin clash.

It will be familiar territory for the Caracals after they edged Tuks 2-1 in their backyard this season. But that result will count for nothing as this encounter presents an entirely new challenge, according to UWC head coach Dr Lwando Mdleleni.

“While we may have won our previous encounter against Tuks, we cannot afford to focus on that result. It’s behind us now, and this upcoming match presents a new challenge. The stakes are much higher, with everything to play for, so we are approaching this game with a fresh mindset and strategy,” he said.

Dr Mdleleni, who also led Udubs to the semis last year, said the round-robin stage, where they scored the most goals, was a crucial element in the team’s development this season. 

“We consistently improved with each match, learning valuable lessons from the games where we dropped points. Those experiences have prepared us well for the intensity and demands of the knockout stage. Our primary goal from the start was to reach the semi-finals. Now that we are here, we are eagerly anticipating this challenge,” he said.

Dr Mdleleni, who also played for the university before graduating to the assistant and eventually coaching job, revealed that after their VUT clash last Thursday, they immediately shifted the focus to preparations for the semis. 

“We have developed a comprehensive plan, and right now, our efforts are focused on ensuring everyone fully buys into it and that the players understand it deeply.”

UWC will be without the injured striker Leandro De Sousa and captain Damian Overmeyer, who were both on the scoresheet against VUT.

Leathan Croats is also set to miss the match. But Dr Mdleleni is confident that the available players will do the job. 

“Despite these setbacks, we are confident in our squad and will put our trust in the players who are fit to play. We are ready to fight for the result we want.”

The match kicks-off at 17h00 on Thursday, and will be televised live on Supersport.