Tshwane University giddy over SuperSport United partnership

TUT, a traditionally strong women's football team, lost several players to TS Galaxy Queens and other teams this season, and areconsequently struggling in the Hollywoodbets Super League.  A relieved Nthangeni believes the Premier Soccer League (PSL) side’s resources will make a massive difference.

"You would've seen that this season we didn't start well at all, because half of the squad went into these professional clubs, who will be dangling a carrot.

To say: 'You come to us, you are guaranteed this amount of paycheque', which we cannot offer because as a university, remember our core business is academics. You must be a student first before you can be a soccer player", he told SABC Sport. 

"However, the majority of the players to those teams, you find that it was non-students because students know they'll still be looked after in terms of academics, and tuition through the sports bursary. So, if you package everything that we end up giving a student who is a footballer, you find that it supersedes what these professional clubs will give them", he said. 

As part of the agreement, some of SuperSport's current sponsorship will cater for TUT. A deal Nthangeni is convinced will be a game changer. 

"Part of what we are looking at, some of the sponsors that they also have, they need to facilitate negotiation for this [women's] team. So, this team can almost enjoy what the SuperSport United team is enjoying.

"And that for us will be a plus, if one or two of those sponsors will feel that 'we need to ensure that the jersey that TUT Matsatsantsa FC use they should have [for example] Johnson & Johnson badge, it'll be an Umbro jersey [like SuperSport's], Ford should be there as well'. That's what we'll be looking at." 

United have one of the best scouting operations and networks in South Africa, which will now aid their namesake women's team. And Nthangeni is eager to see this aid take them to continental competitions.