by Lutho Mtongana | Aug 15, 2014 | Sport
DEFEAT: Commerce team player lies on the floor after losing the game. Photo by: Lutho Mtongana
After being out of the game for three weeks, rugby side Masakhane thundered their way to second on the Wits internal league log with a resounding 52-0 win against Commerce on Wednesday night.
The team, which has not played in a while owing to a lack of availability of their opponents, returned to the league with a strong team effort and even better defence.
“I want my 50, I want my 50, tell Steve I want my 50!”chanted captain Katlego Maseko, motivating his team as the first half ended 44-0. Steve is one of the flankers and scored one of the tries of the night.
Masakhane managed a total of eight tries, with two impressive break-away tries.
“Two best moments from yesterdays match for me is firstly, Uzi’s cross kick try and secondly, when Greg threw the ball through his legs to Steve and then Steve did the same thing for Ryan,” said Maseko.
Two other games were played last night. The winning sides walked all over their opponents leaving the losing sides pointless.
The Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI) Tigers opened the night and lost their game 55-0 to Humanities (Titans). Mens Res (Raiders) won21-0 against South African Hellenic Association (SHA).
Masakhane is still the second on the log, ahead of them is the Medics (Young Doctors). There is one last round of games, next week, Masakhane taking on SHA, before the play-offs start on the August 27.
by Luca Kotton | Aug 15, 2014 | Sport
WONDER KID: Attacking player Liam Jordan has attracted interest overseas, he arrived back in South Africa this week to continue training with Bidvest Wits first team. Photo: Provided
SIXTEEN-year-old Liam Jordan, the youngest player to sign a first team contract in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), shows a maturity beyond his years when he talks about recent personal hardships and how he got to where he is in his career.
Bidvest Wits have invested in Jordan’s future. He is a South African born youngster who played football in New Zealand for most of his life before coming back to Johannesburg from where he hails. Jordan started playing at Edenvale Football Club in the east of Johannesburg at the age of four. His mother and father moved to New Zealand in 2004, and Liam played football in the country for nine years at East Coast Bays, Albany United and Onehunga Sports. He also played at an academy called Wynrs.
The versatile attacking player’s famous father, Keryn Jordan, was a prolific goal scorer and started his career at Manning Rangers, scoring 52 goals in 94 starts for Rangers. He moved to New Zealand to play for Auckland City where he scored 76 goals in 100 games. Despite his goal scoring prowess he only managed one cap for Bafana Bafana in a 2-1 win over Botswana in 2009. Fourteen years to the day, Jordan was diagnosed with cancer and passed away late last year after a long battle with the disease.
“My father taught me everything that I know, about the do’s and don’ts, on and off the field. We had so many one-on-one trainings, tears and laughs, I have lost count but those were the trainings that built me as a player and a person. My father is my inspiration every day to do better and I want to play professionally one day for both of us,” Jordan said.
Jordan recently has played for Brondby, a Danish club which has been linked to Bidvest Wits captain Sibusiso Vilakazi for over a year. Brondby asked Bidvest Wits for five of their youth players to train with them while in Denmark and three of the Clever Boys were given extra attention from the Danish club.
Liam Jordan and Marcelo Mendes stayed on in Europe with Brondby to play another tournament in Holland, where the two boys impressed as the Danish outfit went all the way to the final of the tournament, losing out to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The third player, Thabang Mufamadi, is expected to join Brondby next week for a period of three months, on a trial basis.
Jordan relished his experience in Europe. “Of course I want to play in Europe one day; whether or not I can stay here, I am not entirely sure.”
Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt said Jordan had a role to play this season for the Clever Boys and would definitely play.
He arrived back in South Africa this week and has been given time off training to recover after two overseas tournaments with Bidvest Wits and Brondby FC.
by Nqobile Dludla | Aug 13, 2014 | Sport
FLYING HIGH: Dillon Sheppard warms up before Bidvest Wits draw with AmaTuks. The Clever Boys have four points and are in top half of the table. Photo: Luca Kotton
Wits’ top ranked soccer team piled on the pressure on varsity derby visitors University of Pretoria on Tuesday night finishing the game with a draw.
“There’s no doubt that they put us under pressure”, said University of Pretoria head coach, Steve Barker of the 1-1 scoreline with the Clever Boys at the Bidvest Wits stadium.
“Wits are a very good team in terms of putting under pressure especially when they got [sic] players like Hendrico Botes … We don’t have the biggest players at the back but if you look at Tebogo Monyai, tonight for me credit goes to him”, said Barker.
Both teams walked away with a point and Barker says if they can get points at Wits “then I believe we can go anywhere and get points”.
AmaTuks’ Atusaye Nyondo netted a goal in the first five minutes of the game sending AmaTuks supporters up in the air as they jumped up and down in jubilation.
“There’s no doubt that they put us under pressure”
Geoffrey Massa broke and sped past the home side before shooting a pass for Nyondo to net right in the top corner.
Threatening to give AmaTuks a second goal, Vuyisile Ntombiayithethi tried his luck with a long range shot that quickly fell short of putting the visitors ahead.
Protecting home turf, the Clever Boys captain, Sibusiso Vilakazi took a dangerous free kick which saw the visitors’ defenders scrambling to protect themselves inside the box, only to have Vilakazi’s attempt hit the crossbar.
Before being stretchered off the field, Nyondo posed a significant threat to Jackson Mabokgwane who quickly deflected Nyondo’s effort.
The Clever Boys persisted and applied pressure on AmaTuks’ back line. Falling short however, Maliele Pule’s set piece saw the ball sailing over the top of AmaTuks goal post.
Nearing the end of the first half, the score still stood with AmaTuks leading with 1-0 to Bidvest Wits.
The second half saw a lot more hard work from the Clever Boys who dominated with ball possession.
This domination almost had Bidvest Wits equalising two minutes into the second forty-five when Arubi missed his chance to deflect the ball quickly enough, but to his luck, AmaTuks defender cleared the ball when Christopher Katongo went in for a rebound attempt.
Bidvest Wits finally picked up a point when Botes slotted the ball in from the left side of the box, equalising the game.
by Luca Kotton | Aug 10, 2014 | Sport
HAPPY PEOPLE: A small crowd of around 20 Bidvest Wits fans watched the game at Lucas Moripe Stadium. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
The new football season kicked off on Friday and last night, The Clever Boys bagged their first three points with a win over Supersports United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria.
Bidvest Wits started the season off in ideal fashion bagging three points in their 1-0 win.
S’thembiso Ngcobo bagged a second half penalty when captain Sibusiso Vilakazi was brought down in the box after a clumsy challenge by Supersports United’s new signing Michael Morton, previously of Maritzburg United.
The penalty was converted nervously by the Wits striker after hitting the upright and the ball just making it past the Supersport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The Clever boys goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane was the hero for the night as he made a flurry of saves to keep the Supersport attack at bay. Mabokgwane was rewarded for his efforts with the man of the match award.
Giorgi Nergadze made his first appearance for Bidvest Wits after finally sorting out issues with his work permit. The problem has persisted throughout the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with many overseas players missing out on their new teams first games.
Bidvest Wits will face the University of Pretoria in a home derby on Tuesday night.
by Lutho Mtongana | Aug 8, 2014 | Sport
Wits rugby team Medics “Young Doctors” is currently number one at the university, having lost none of their matches this year from ten teams. Their latest victory was against Monash for the Rugby Internal League play off.
Following Young Doctors is Masakhane with 208 points and the Engineers with 173 points. The SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS) which still have not won any games since the league started, managed only 50 points and continue to remain at the bottom this semester.
SAUJS have not played any games this semester and have been troubled since their team had a leadership deficit – their manager only just returned two weeks ago from a two month trip overseas. Alan Leonard, Rugby Internal League coordinator, said, “If SAUJS cannot continue then the scores for SAUJS will be wiped out and it will be as if they had not played. That levels the playing field”.
Meanwhile, Masakhane is determined to take the Medics on in the finale after they lost only one game last semester against the Medics. Katlego Maseko, Masakhane captain said his team had no problems, had “the best defence in the league” and he hoped to see Medics in the final.
Even though the Medics have done extremely well their captain, Donovan Heslop disclosed that “one part of our game that needs work is our defence and kicking, this has always been a problem with us our strongest asset has been our attack, we have very exciting players who are able to create tries when needed.”
TEAM HUG: The Medics rejoice after winning a game. Photo by: Tendai Dube
For the past three years the Medics have only made it to the semi-finals, not winning the cup. Heslop said this time, “Our goal is to make the final and hopefully win the league.”
As for Mens Res, they opened this semester with another loss. Leonard said, “Last week their fitness was not up to scratch and they seem to change their team every week.”
“I think the other teams have got stronger but also with the disruptions the teams have not played the same number of games,” he added.
Monash captain, Tatenda Mtemeri said that one of the reasons for their lack lustre performance well is that they had a lot of new players most of which were under 19. They had only three seniors remaining.
However, it’s not really a Super 6 anymore; this year all teams will play until the semi-finals. This means that all teams on the league, Medics, Masakhane, Engineers, Commerce, Monash, Humanities (Titans), Mens Res (Raiders), South African Hellenic Association (SHA), MGI Tigers and SAUJs will be part of the remaining three rounds of the games.
The Rugby Internal League Final will take place on September 10, with only three rounds left until the play-offs. The last week will see a five game round if SAUJS emerges from its leadership crises and continue to play, according to Leonard.
Close on the Medics’ heels for winner, according to the current standing, looks likely to be Masakhane or the Engineers.
by Luca Kotton | Aug 8, 2014 | Sport
DERBY DAY: Vice-chancellor Prof Adam Habib and Bidvest Wits Coach Gavin Hunt swopped pleasantries as the
Clever Boys prepare for their derby clash with TUKS. Photo: Luca Kotton
EXTRA-curricular activities, including sports should not be an extra cost to students,according to Wits Vice-chancellor Prof Adam Habib.
“I would like to stop charging fees for sports … [Now] you have to pay for accessing basic recreational sports, maybe if you play high performance sports it’s a different matter but recreational sports should be open access in the fees,” Habib said.
Habib made his comments at a jersey handover ceremony with Wits Clever Boys coach Gavin Hunt.
SRC president Shafee Verachia told Wits Vuvuzela that the discussion to end fees for extra-curricular clubs and societies has already begun.
“We already started this discussion with [Deputy Vice-chancellor] Prof Tawana Kupe and it’s not only sports it’s also the various other clubs and societies,”
“The extra out classroom activities are not accessible to most of our students. Students on bursaries, National Student Financial Aid Scheme and student loans are affected because all these structures don’t include
extra-curricular activities in their payments,”Verachia added.
Habib said the university’s current fee structure was confusing and should be simplified.
“You must be a PhD student to understand our fees structure because you have the fee, then for the course and for the club and society,” Habib said.
He added that when he went to university there was only a single fee that included extra-curricular clubs and societies.
“If somebody wants to play tennis or do cross country then we shouldn’t be charging them for the basic stuff , the infrastructure is there and it’s not costing anything so why should we be charging,” Habib said.
by Luca Kotton | Aug 7, 2014 | Sport
With the Premier Soccer League(PSL) season edging ever closer, we look back at last season’s statistics and highlights.
by Nqobile Dludla | Aug 7, 2014 | Sport
SETTING THE BAR HIGH: In the top four, Wits FC head coach, Karabo Mogudi is certain that his team will qualify for the USSA Gauteng Football League semi-finals. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
Wits FC coach Karabo Mogudi says he is confident enough that his team will remain in the top four of the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Gauteng qualifiers as the season resumed on Tuesday.
The team has three more matches left until the semi-finals, which will see the top four teams battling it out to qualify for the USSA National Championships taking place in December.
“We have a fairly good squad this year. Performance is a little bit better [than the previous year]. We’ve tried and done our best and we think we’ll get there, but the job is not done yet. Our objective is to stay in the top four, qualify for the USSA National Champs and qualify for Varsity football,” said Mogudi.
For Wits FC to qualify for the USSA National Championships they need a minimum of three wins that will put the team through to the semi-finals, whether they draw or lose one game out of the remaining four. Of the four teams battling it out in the semi-finals, only three will be chosen to represent Gauteng at nationals.
“I’m gunning for three wins and one draw. I’m not looking for a loss. We must decide our own destiny. We need to decide and say ‘we are going to be in the top four and we are going to the national champs’,” said Mogudi.
“If we get 17 [points] that means we are definitely in the top four because that means we would have beaten UP (University of Pretoria) and UJ (University of Johannesburg) who are close to us … We are confident that we can do the job in the last two matches,” said Mogudi.
“I’m gunning for three wins and one draw. I’m not looking for a loss”
Last year the team juggled both Varsity Football and the Gauteng League which resulted in constant injuries and lethargy. According to Mogudi, he couldn’t rotate players due to injuries and prolonged recovery because there were “not enough [players] to rotate with”.
Mogudi believes sport administration support, quality players, medical assistance and high performance assistance will have a positive impact on the team’s objectives and the quality of the team that he is grooming.
“We need res, food, medical assistance, bursaries et cetera. Unfortunately we don’t get that much. The budget is limited. So for those living off campus it is a challenge for them to come to practice on weekends.”
According to Mogudi, “with some of the matches the team did not have a physio due to, among other things, the lack of funds. So dealing with a part-time physio means that when they are working on the same day as the match you end up going without them.”
Despite the challenges, Mogudi hopes to encourage the spirit of commitment among his players.
At number four, Wits FC has 11 points along with UP sitting at number three. In second place, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Pretoria also has 11 points and sitting comfortably at number one, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Vanderbijlpark has 16 points.
For the upcoming matches, Wits FC will face UP, Midrand Graduate Institute and Medunsa.
by Nqobile Dludla | Aug 2, 2014 | Sport
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END: Bloem Celtic team mates consoling tearful Limbikani Mzava after his penalty was saved by Mabokgwane, seeing The Clever Boys advance to the semi-finals with a 4-3 score. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
By Nqobile Dludla and Luca Kotton
Bivest Wits advanced to the semi-finals of the season’s first big tournament after trashing Bloemfontein Celtic 4-3 on penalties at the Bidvest Stadium on Friday night.
Wits goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane won the game for the Clever Boys by saving an attempt from Celtic’s Limbikani Mzava with the game at 4-3 in the MTN8 tournament. The match ended goalless after 120 minutes of play.
First to take the penalty from The Clever Boys was newly signed midfielder Dillon Sheppard who sent Bloem Celtic goalkeeper, Patrick Tignyemb flying the opposite direction giving his team a 1-0 lead.
Trying to catch up to The Clever Boys, Alfred Ndengane’s attempt was quickly deflected by Mabokgwane leaving the penalty score at 1-0.
Toriq Losper and Relato Lamola both added to the scoreboard, putting Bidvest Wits 2-1 over Celtic.
Despite the the crowd cheering on Clever Boys captain Sibusiso Vilakazi as he prepared to take a shot at penalty, he was denied by Tignyemb allowing Celtic to recover to 2-2 after Musa Lakay slotted his shot in. But Sthembiso Ngcobo quickly advanced the home team, earning Wits a 3-2 lead.
The unavoidable scoring machine, Joel Mogorosi caught up with The Clever Boys, equalising the score. While Phunya Sele Sele were still enjoying the equal scoreline, Onismor Bhasera sent Tignyemb flying the opposite direction, putting The Clever Boys in the lead with 4-3.
The goalless draw
The opening half saw Bidvest Wits failing to capitalise on promising goal opportunities. New defender Buhle Mkhwanazi’s header failed to materialise after receiving a corner kick from man of the match, Toriq Losper, sending it well wide.
While a failed free kick from Jabulani Shongwe had Bloem Celtic goalkeeper, Tignyemb reminding The Clever Boys why he is the best at what he does, the Witsies maintained pressure on the Bloem Celtic back line.
Coming in for a rebound, Losper’s header was denied by Tignyemb after receiving a well angled pass from Henrico Botes.
Bidvest Wits’ were often awarded corner kicks much to the frustration of Bloem Celtic coach, Ernst Middendorp, who spent a good part of the match jumping up and down on the sidelines and punching the air in frustration.
“There were a lot of fouls from Wits to which the referee refused to take notice of”, Middendorp said after the match.
Despite Midderndorp’s frustration, Bloem Celtic’s Ruben Cloete managed to break the Clever Boys back line only to have his attempt fly over the top of Mabokgwane’s goal post.
While the game gained momentum towards the dying minutes of the second half, the score still stood at 0-0 at stoppage time witnessing the game move into 30 minutes of extra time.
Bidvest Wits coach, Gavin Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela after the match: “We had a couple of opportunities and they [Bloem Celtic] also had a good couple of opportunities. I thought they battled well; they worked hard and outfought us but we stuck and held our ground”.
by Nqobile Dludla | Jul 25, 2014 | Sport
Going up the ranks: Goal Scorer Miya Mathaphela (left) from Medhurst during a game against Jubilee which saw them earning a 25-9 victory. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
The top three Wits Netball Internal League (WNIL) teams are not planning on backing down until they get the coveted title once the season resumes next week Tuesday.
This semester will see all teams continuing to prove why they are the best at what they do.
This of course won’t come without a fight, as the other teams attempt to dethrone the Medics who are the current defending champions since 2011.
“We’re only coming back stronger than we were before,” said Medics captain, Florencia Mnisi.
“We strive to be the best. In doing so, we’ve got to keep improving our skills and being better than we were before.”
Medics are leading with 12 points followed by the new residence team, Noswal Hall, and Medhurst, both also with 12 points on the log. What puts Medics in the lead is their goal difference (GD) score sitting at 129 compared to Noswal Hall at 66 and 64 for Medhurst.
These top three of the 12 performing teams won all four of their matches last semester.
Medics’ history as defending champs, after dethroning the once most-feared team Jubilee, is posing a threat to other teams yearning to attain the title. Last year Medhurst walked away with bronze medals in third place while Jubilee lost to Medics and came second.
“We’re like a target everyone wants to get to, so we get pressure because we need to hold on to our title. We are all after victory,” said Mnisi
New kids on the block
True to Mnisi’s assessment, new kids on the block Noswal Hall “want it all”.
“A juggle of the positions would be more interesting, I mean why introduce something new if we want to keep things constant? I believe competition is healthy, keeps everyone on their toes. I would like to think it’s motivating,” said Keneilwe Manda, acting captain of the Noswal team.
Noswal have been playing without a captain since the season began in April. This, however, has not held back the new kids from outperforming Junction by 14-9, Braam Centre by 45-7, Reith by 23-13 and Esselen by 21-8.
“Team work and cooperation is what has kept us together without a captain,” said Manda.
While fitness is a key area for improvement from last semester, Manda also emphasised “making a bigger name for the new kids on the block”.
“We are a team that wants to show that [people should] never underestimate a developing team,” said Manda.
Compared to the other two top teams, Noswal has new players who have not experienced the league before.
Speaking on the performance of the top three teams, WINL coordinator, Ofentse Moropa, said: “If you had asked me before the season started, I would have said that they [Medics] would win without a doubt. However, it is Noswal’s first time in the league and they look like they’ll be the dark horse of the competition and might cause major upsets.”
Indeed, at number three, Medhurst realises that to move up on the score board will take a lot of commitment and effort from the whole team.
Medhurst faced last year’s second-place winners Jubilee last semester in a disappointing match that left Jubilee wondering what had hit them with the score 25-9 in Medhurst’s favour.
“We plan on going up the ranks and the only way to do that is to stay focused and practising and giving each game our best. We are hoping to be number one. We would love to take the trophy home this year,” said Medhurst captain, Apel Kunene.
by Luca Kotton | Jul 25, 2014 | Sport
READY FOR ACTION: Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt looks on as his team tackle Platinum Stars in a friendly match at Sturrock Park before the new season.
Wits attacking ace Sibusiso Vilakazi will be staying with the Clever Boys as coach Gavin Hunt looks to improve on last year’s season with more points and another cup final.
There has been speculation over Clever Boy Vilakazi, last year’s captain and PSL player of the season. Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela that Vilakazi would be at Wits this season unless something came up from overseas.
Hunt said Vilakazi did a great job last season as captain, however he was considering removing him from that leadership role.
“Maybe we need to free him up a little bit,” Hunt said.
Last season Bidvest Wits finished third in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), reached the final of the Nedbank Cup and qualified to play in Africa.
With many new players coming in Hunt said, “It’s all about me putting the jigsaw together this season but I don’t have to change too much because we did very well last season.”
Hunt has so far signed nine players, with five of them being over the age of 30. “I don’t see age, I see players’ ability. I think all players that we have signed still have legs on them, they have a lot of streetwise, a lot of know-how but we did have a little bit of imbalance with experience last year and I think that cost us the league,” he said.
With goalkeeper Dennis Onyango having returned to Sundowns and Jackson Mabokgwane likely to leave during the new season, Hunt told Wits Vuvuzela he has a bit of a problem in the goalkeeping department.
Rowen Fernandez looks set to make his return to Bidvest Wits this season, after being seen training during the week with the Clever Boys.Hunt would not officially confirm to Wits Vuvuzela that Fernandez was joining the team but said he could add a lot of experience and potentially help Bidvest Wits in the goalkeeping department.
With scoreless draws being a thorn in the Clever Boys’ side last season, Hunt said players such as Henrico Botes and Christopher Katongo coming in would do well this season with other players that can deliver the ball.
He added that the team’s set pieces were not good last season and he was looking to improve this aspect to score more goals.
With the Bidvest under-17 team recently reaching the finals of the Engen Cup, Hunt has signed two youth players from the academy.The duo consists of 15-year-old Liam Jordan and 20-year-old Julian De Freitas.
The Clever Boys’ first official game of the season will take place on August 1 at Bidvest Stadium in a quarter-final clash against Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 competition.
by Tendai Dube | Jul 25, 2014 | Sport
Gonste Mathabathe worked up a real sweat after the 2.5 – 5 km run on Tuesday. Photo: Tendai Dube
WITSIES braced the cold to participate in the first Nike Run at the Bozzoli Sports Pavilion on Tuesday evening. Fitness brand Nike partnered with Wits Sports Club to launch a weekly running club for those in and around the community.
“We’re running this because we want to really create this healthy lifestyle,” said Liz Chase, Wits sports officer.
Participants had the option to run the 2.5km or 5km route from the Bozzoli Sports Pavilion through East Campus.
The first to reach the finish line were best friends Nhlanhla Vilakazi and Brandon Matthews. The two had opted for the 2.5km, much to Chase’s dismay. “You see, the thing is, I’ve been on holiday now for more than a month and I didn’t want to finish myself,” said Vilakazi.
The launch did not get large numbers but had Witsies known it involved swopping your old sneakers to run in a brand new pair of Lunar Glide Nikes then perhaps more would have attended.
We’re running this because we want to really create this healthy lifestyle
“It’s not the easiest thing to do but there’s a saying, ‘summer bodies are created in winter’ and that’s what keeps people motivated and training in winter,” said Zama Mthethwa, coordinator of the Nike Run at Wits.
Witsies and staff are encouraged to join the runs taking place every Tuesday evening at 5pm starting at Bozzoli.
