2013 Varsity Football
The 2013 Varsity Football challenge was the first season of a South African university association football competition. It involved some of the top football playing universities in the country, which belong to the University Sports Company. The tournament is run by Varsity Sports South Africa, and is endorsed by the South African Football Association and University Sport South Africa.[1]
| Season | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Champions | UP-Tuks (men) University of Johannesburg (women) |
| Matches played | 34 |
| Goals scored | 99 (2.91 per match) |
| Biggest home win | 5–0 (Tuks vs UCT), 6–1 (NWU vs UFS) |
| Biggest away win | 4–0 (Tuks vs UFS), (NMMU vs UCT), (NWU vs Wits) |
| Highest scoring | 6–1 (NWU vs UFS) |
The men's competition was won by UP-Tuks and the women's competition by University of Johannesburg.
History
The Varsity Cup tournament was founded in 2008, featuring the rugby teams of eight universities. Varsity Sports was expanded in 2012 to include other sporting codes.[2] University Sport South Africa discussed the Varsity Football proposal at its 2012 annual general meeting. The idea was initially rejected, as it was seen to split the member institutions.[3] However, it was later accepted, and 2013 was the inaugural season of Varsity Football, with an 8 team men's tournament.[4] A four team women's tournament is also being played.[5]
Participating Teams
Blue: Men's teams only; Red: Women's teams only; Green: Men's and Women's teams.
The eight teams competing in the men's Varsity Football challenge are:
| Varsity Football Challenge | ||
| Team Name | University | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| NMMU Madibaz | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | NMMU Stadium |
| NWU Mafikeng | North-West University | Mafikeng Sports Fields |
| TUT | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium |
| Ikey Warriors | University of Cape Town | The Green Mile |
| UFS Kovsies | University of the Free State | Shimla Park |
| UP-Tuks | University of Pretoria | Tuks Stadium |
| UWC | University of the Western Cape | UWC Sport Stadium |
| Wits | University of the Witwatersrand | Bidvest Stadium |
The four teams competing in the women's Varsity Football challenge are:
| Varsity Football Challenge | ||
| Team Name | University | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| TUT | Tshwane University of Technology | TUT Stadium |
| UP-Tuks | University of Pretoria | Tuks Stadium |
| UJ | University of Johannesburg | AW Muller Stadium |
| Limpopo | University of Limpopo | Oscar Mphetha Stadium |
Qualification
For both the men's and women's tournaments, qualification was based on the 2012 University Sports South Africa National Club Championships. In order to qualify, men's teams need to be one of the eight highest placed teams associated with Varsity Sports. Women's teams needed to be one of the semi-finalists, and also be associated with Varsity Sports.
For the men's tournament, UP-Tuks qualified as USSA champions, and NWU-Mafikeng as losing finalists. TUT-Pretoria qualified as a losing semi-finalist, while UKZN Pietermaritzburg, also a losing semi-finalist, was ineligible, not being linked to Varsity Sports. Wits and UWC qualified as losing quarter finalists, while WSU-Potsdam and CPUT, both of which also lost in the quarter finals were ineligible. UCT, ranked 9th, UFS, ranked 11th and NMMU, ranked 14th were invited. Higher placed University of Venda, WSU-Ibika and UKZN-Edgewood were not invited, as they are not linked to Varsity Sports.
For the women's tournament, TUT-Pretoria was invited as the USSA women's champion. UP-Tuks qualified as the losing finalist, and UJ as a losing semi-finalist. VUT, a losing semi-finalist, was not invited, lacking affiliation with Varsity Sports at the time. As such, 5th ranked University of Limpopo was invited instead.[6]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TUT | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 17 |
| 2 | UP-Tuks | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 16 |
| 3 | NWU Mafikeng | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 13 |
| 4 | NMMU Madibaz | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 13 |
| 5 | UFS Kovsies | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 7 |
| 6 | UWC | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 5 |
| 7 | Wits | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 3 |
| 8 | UCT | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw. The top 4 teams qualified for the Semi-Finals.
Format
The tournament begins with a round robin stage, in which all teams play each other once. After the round robin stage, the top 4 teams will advance to the knockout stage. The teams ranked 1 and 2 will host the semi-finals, against the teams ranked 4 and 3 respectively. The winners will advance to the final, to be hosted by the highest ranking finalist. All matches are played on Mondays. The league scoring system follows a standard scoring system and awards 3 points are awarded for a win, and 1 point for a draw. Teams are separated first on points, and then on goal difference.
Round robin stage
The 2013 season began with the round robin stages on 22 July, which will end on 2 September.
- All times are South African (GMT+2)
Week 1
| 22 July 2013 | Wits | 0–4 | NWU | Johannesburg, Gauteng |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Thabo Mnyamane 2, Sandile Mbatha, Sylvester Moses | Report | Stadium: Bidvest Stadium |
| 22 July 2013 | UWC | 0–2 | NMMU | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Niven Kops, Leroy van Rensburg | Stadium: University of the Western Cape Stadium |
| 22 July 2013 | Tuks | 1–4 | TUT | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Kabelo Ramongane | Report | Botshelo Mfulwane 2, Katlego Mokoena, Sizwe Khumalo | Stadium: Tuks Stadium |
| 22 July 2013 | UFS | 1–1 | UCT | Bloemfontein, Free State |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Unathi Mabandla | Report | Wisy Namaseb | Stadium: Shimla Park |
Week 2
| 29 July 2013 | Tuks | 2–0 | Wits | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Mosa Sesele, Nelson Mwale (own goal) | Report | Stadium: Tuks Stadium |
| 29 July 2013 | UCT | 0–4 | NMMU | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Cloudius Sagandira 3, Leroy van Rensburg | Stadium: The Green Mile |
| 29 July 2013 | UWC | 1–2 | TUT | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Curtley Beukes | Report | Andrew Mashigo, Doctor Radebe | Stadium: University of the Western Cape Stadium |
Week 3
| 5 August 2013 | UFS | 1–1 | UWC | Bloemfontein, Free State |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Tshepo Sefatsa | Report | Lulama Lolwana | Stadium: Shimla Park |
| 5 August 2013 | Tuks | 1–1 | NMMU | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Lindsay Stowman | Report | Mbongeni Masilela | Stadium: Tuks Stadium 1 |
Week 4
| 12 August 2013 | NWU | 1–1 | NMMU | Mahikeng, North West |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Otlaarongwa Rantese | Report | Kieran Koert | Stadium: Mafikeng Sports Fields |
| 12 August 2013 | Wits | 0–2 | UWC | Johannesburg, Gauteng |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Curtley Beukes, Robbin Swartz | Stadium: Bidvest Stadium |
Week 5
| 19 August 2013 | TUT | 3–1 | UCT | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Themba Nkosi, Khomotso Selemela, Selby Madibana | Report | Lwazi Maziya | Stadium: TUT Stadium |
| 19 August 2013 | NWU | 2–1 | UWC | Mahikeng, North West |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Sylvester Moses, Tshenolo Machwisa | Report | Curtley Beukes | Stadium: Mafikeng Sports Fields |
| 19 August 2013 | UFS | 0–4 | Tuks | Bloemfontein, Free State |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Mosa Sesele, Mbongeni Masilela, Claudio Barreiro, Thabo Ndlovu | Stadium: Shimla Park |
| 19 August 2013 | NMMU | 4–1 | Wits | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Leroy van Rensburg (2), Lindsay Stowman, Cornelius Matuoane | Report | Tshepo Motsukunyane | Stadium: NMMU A Soccer Field 1 |
Week 6
| 26 August 2013 | TUT | 2–2 | NMMU | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Botshelo Mfulwane, Sonwabiso Busakwe | Report | Leroy van Rensburg, Niven Kops | Stadium: TUT Stadium |
| 26 August 2013 | NWU | 2–1 | UCT | Mahikeng, North West |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Thabo Mnyamane (2) | Report | Thami Mehlo | Stadium: Mafikeng Sports Fields |
| 26 August 2013 | Wits | 0–2 | UFS | Johannesburg, Gauteng |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Stadium: Bidvest Stadium |
Week 7
| 2 September 2013 | UWC | 1–1 | UCT | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 16:30 UTC+2 | Tapelo Sixishe | Report | Velaphi Vilakazi | Stadium: University of the Western Cape Stadium |
| 2 September 2013 | TUT | 3–0 | Wits | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Botshelo Mfulwane, Selby Madibana, Andrew Mashigo | Report | Stadium: TUT Stadium |
| 2 September 2013 | NWU | 0–1 | Tuks | Mahikeng, North West |
| 19:30 UTC+22 | Lawrence Ntswane | Report | Stadium: Mafikeng Sports Fields |
| 2 September 2013 | NMMU | 1–1 | UFS | Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Lukhanyo Rasmeni | Report | JJ Groenewald | Stadium: NMMU A Soccer Field 1 |
- 1 Matches originally scheduled for NMMU Stadium.
- 2 Kick off delayed due to late arrival of officials.
Knockout stage
The top four placed men's teams progressed to the knockout stage, as did all four women's teams. The semi-finals for both men and women were played on 9 September and the finals on 16 September.
Semi-Finals
Final
Semi-Finals
Notable Players and Coaches
Players and coaches who have since been signed by professional clubs.
- Thabo Mnyamane (University of Pretoria), South African Premier Division
References
- "Football to get Varsity passion". Varsity Sports SA. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- "More sporting codes to boost varsity sports". SABC. 12 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- "Minutes of the USSA Football Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the University of the Western Cape, Bellville, on 06th– December – 2013" (PDF). University Sport South Africa. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- "Explosive Mondays back with Varsity Football". Varsity Sports SA. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- "Ladies' chance to shine". Varsity Sports SA. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- "USSA Football National Club Championships 2012" (PDF). University Sport South Africa. 7 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 5 July 2014.