Tlisane hopes for repeat of dream run in NFD
Tuks chasing unlikely promotion spot yet again
University of Pretoria coach Tlisane Motaung is hopeful his side can replicate the form they showed in the second half of last season’s National First Division campaign.
In the 13 matches they played at the turn of 2022, AmaTuks won seven, drew five and lost one. The impressive run took them to a second-place finish in the league behind Richards Bay, missing out on automatic promotion by two points. However, it was enough for the Tshwane side to qualify for promotion playoffs where they lost to eventual winners Swallows, who were fighting to stay in the premiership.
With 18 matches left in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, the university side finds itself in seventh place with 18 points.
“We hope we can do something similar or better than that, but you know football has its way,” Motaung told Sowetan.
“We will work hard to achieve that but I don’t want to put maximum pressure on the new players who arrived this season and say they will do exactly what the guys who were here last season did. They will do their best, I’m sure.
“We will try to win matches and if we achieve what we achieved last season, that will be a big plus. We are hoping to repeat what we did last season although we know it won’t be easy,” he said.
The Pretoria side will resume their NFD campaign on Saturday when they take on Baroka at the Tuks Stadium (3pm). Motaung is expecting a tough match from their visitors from Limpopo.
“We know that this game, especially with what we want to achieve as a team. This one is big against Baroka, we are playing against a former PSL team.
“They have ambitions of doing well, and I’m sure they are motivated because they won their previous match and they have a new coach in Bushy Moloi,” he said.
NFD Fixtures (all times 3.30pm):
Today: Cape Town Spurs v Hungry Lions, Athlone Stadium; JDR Stars v Pretoria Caillies, Soshanguve Giant Stadium.
Tomorrow: All Stars v TTM, Bidvest Stadium; Pretoria University v Baroka, ABSA Tuks Stadium; Casric Stars v Platinum City Rovers, Solomon Mahlangu Stadium; Black Leopards v Venda, Thohoyandou Stadium.
Sunday: Magesi v NB La Masia, Old Peter Mokaba Stadium; Uthongathi v Polokwane City, Princess Magogo Stadium.