Fulfilling their potential and creating stability are significant goals for the Madibaz men’s and women’s football teams at the USSA tournament starting in Kimberley this weekend.
Leading players Mpumelelo Zulu and Anelisa Mngcongo were on the same page in this assessment before their first game in the Northern Cape capital on Saturday.
Both sides will compete in the A-section of the University Sports SA competition, where the immediate goal will be to maintain that elite status.
More importantly, both teams will also want to be placed as high up on the log as possible when all has been said and done.
The men will play in the B-stream in their division and captain Zulu, who heads into his third USSAs, wants to see them perform at their very best more consistently.
There have been several positives for the Madibaz this season but delivering the magic every single time they run onto the park has so far eluded them.
“In the recent USSA tournaments we have not made it that far, yet I feel that we are more than competitive,” the 21-year-old, who believes that Lady Luck has not been on their side, said.
The third-year logistics student said they had learnt from previous years that they needed to get on top of their emotions, on and off the field, while being more clinical in execution when they created scoring opportunities.
The skipper, a highly-rated centre-back, hopes to lead by example in Kimberley.
“I feel I have developed a winning mentality and can create a good spirit in the changing room, which is very important.”
After a rollercoaster run in the national tertiary event in recent years, Mngcongo was clear in what her charges were setting out to achieve — maintain their A-section status.
“In my two previous USSA tournaments, I’ve had different experiences. In 2022, we did not perform to our expectations and were relegated to the B- section,” the central midfielder said.
“Last year, we developed a new strategy to win promotion back into the A-section and we achieved that objective.”
By finishing runners-up in the B-section, Madibaz returned to the top tier and that’s where they want to stay.
The 22-year-old, known for her strong work ethic and positive approach, said they would take heart from their performances in the Sasol League, where they ended fifth.
Mngcongo was particularly satisfied with their effort against Golden Stars, against whom she scored a brace.
“It was very competitive with many challenges but we managed to win 3-2,” she said.
The winning goal came from a free kick outside the box.
“Those are the sorts of performances we want to replicate to move up the USSA rankings.”
The players had been training in Gqeberha’s morning heat to prepare for the competition and Mngcongo felt that they would be physically “ready because of that”. — Full Stop Communications
HeraldLIVE
Gqeberha students chase several goals at USSA football champs
Image: SUPPLIED
Fulfilling their potential and creating stability are significant goals for the Madibaz men’s and women’s football teams at the USSA tournament starting in Kimberley this weekend.
Leading players Mpumelelo Zulu and Anelisa Mngcongo were on the same page in this assessment before their first game in the Northern Cape capital on Saturday.
Both sides will compete in the A-section of the University Sports SA competition, where the immediate goal will be to maintain that elite status.
More importantly, both teams will also want to be placed as high up on the log as possible when all has been said and done.
The men will play in the B-stream in their division and captain Zulu, who heads into his third USSAs, wants to see them perform at their very best more consistently.
There have been several positives for the Madibaz this season but delivering the magic every single time they run onto the park has so far eluded them.
“In the recent USSA tournaments we have not made it that far, yet I feel that we are more than competitive,” the 21-year-old, who believes that Lady Luck has not been on their side, said.
The third-year logistics student said they had learnt from previous years that they needed to get on top of their emotions, on and off the field, while being more clinical in execution when they created scoring opportunities.
The skipper, a highly-rated centre-back, hopes to lead by example in Kimberley.
“I feel I have developed a winning mentality and can create a good spirit in the changing room, which is very important.”
After a rollercoaster run in the national tertiary event in recent years, Mngcongo was clear in what her charges were setting out to achieve — maintain their A-section status.
“In my two previous USSA tournaments, I’ve had different experiences. In 2022, we did not perform to our expectations and were relegated to the B- section,” the central midfielder said.
“Last year, we developed a new strategy to win promotion back into the A-section and we achieved that objective.”
By finishing runners-up in the B-section, Madibaz returned to the top tier and that’s where they want to stay.
The 22-year-old, known for her strong work ethic and positive approach, said they would take heart from their performances in the Sasol League, where they ended fifth.
Mngcongo was particularly satisfied with their effort against Golden Stars, against whom she scored a brace.
“It was very competitive with many challenges but we managed to win 3-2,” she said.
The winning goal came from a free kick outside the box.
“Those are the sorts of performances we want to replicate to move up the USSA rankings.”
The players had been training in Gqeberha’s morning heat to prepare for the competition and Mngcongo felt that they would be physically “ready because of that”. — Full Stop Communications
HeraldLIVE
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