The North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute is just 90 minutes away from securing its place in South African professional football.

After topping Group A of the ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs in Mthatha, the North West champions have booked a semi-final showdown against KwaZulu-Natal champions Mkhambathi FC, with promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship at stake.

For the NWU, the equation is simple: win and secure promotion to South Africa’s second-tier professional league; lose and say goodbye to a season-long pursuit of promotion.

The Eagles earned their place in the last four after a resilient group-stage campaign that culminated in a 3-2 victory over Gauteng champions La Masia. Having navigated a competitive group and finished top on goal difference, NWU now stands one match away from achieving the objective that has driven the team throughout the season.

Head coach Nkululeko Malgas says promotion has always been the target.

Sights set on promotion

“It has been part of our preparations that we want nothing but promotion this season,” says coach Malgas. The more we win, the closer we advance to our goal.”

The significance of the occasion extends beyond the tournament itself. Promotion would see NWU join the Motsepe Foundation Championship, providing the university's players with a pathway into the professional game while elevating the status of the NWU Soccer Institute, which is one of the country's leading university football programmes.

Standing in the team’s way is a battle-hardened Mkhambathi FC side that finished second in Group C and arrives in the semi-finals with momentum and experience.

Coach Malgas expects a difficult encounter against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit.

“It’s a very good side that has a lot of seasoned players,” he says. “They’re going to be very difficult to break. Remember that they were one of the sides that were protested against and they developed a thick skin.”

The NWU coach believes the experience gained during the group stages has prepared his players for the pressure that comes with knockout football. The team has shown resilience, recovering from setbacks and producing results when it mattered most.

Those lessons, he believes, will be crucial when the players step onto the field for the semi-final.

“These boys need to know that after all these years, their dreams have been reduced to 90 minutes,” says coach Malgas.

The stakes could not be higher. Victory would not only send NWU into the national playoff final but would also secure automatic promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, placing the university among South Africa’s professional football clubs.

For the Eagles, the destination is now within touching distance.

The semi-final game will be played on Saturday, 6 June at Mthatha stadium in Eastern Cape.

The NWU Soccer Institute team.