The Kovsies were the best football team at the SAB
playoffs held in Sasolburg gaining access to the
ABC Motsepe League in 2017/2018.
Photo: Kyle Marais

It means a lot to the football loving community at University of the Free State (UFS) and gives them something to be proud of. This is according to Godfrey Tenoff, coach of the UFS Men’s Football Team, after his team’s recent promotion to the ABC Motsepe League.

The Kovsies were crowned SAB Provincial Champions, an amateur senior league, for a second consecutive year in 2016/2017, but gained access to the ABC Motsepe League by winning the SAB playoffs on 20 and 21 May 2017 in Sasolburg. Thabo (Number) Lesibe and Tenoff was also respectively named Player and Coach of the Tournament at the playoffs. The university has been promoted to the semi-professional ABC Motsepe league for the first time since 2008.

Flirting with success over past few years
Tenoff said UFS football can now be seen as “one that can make a significant contribution to championship culture of sport at the university”.

His troops had flirted with success over the past few years, but couldn’t always translate it into championships. They finished fourth in their SAB provincial league in 2013/2014, second in 2014/2015 and in 2015/2016 won the region, but lost in the SAB provincial playoffs.

Three reasons for outstanding season
Tenoff said there are three reasons for the team’s success and it went on a 22-game unbeaten streak, with 20 games won and two drawn.

They retained most players from the 2015/2016 season and many of them were recruited during that season. Local talent from high schools in Bloemfontein were also recruited and introduced earlier – in July 2016. Lastly, Tenoff said the players and technical team were resilient and objective in their planning.