Motsepe Foundation Championship | 10 May 2026 | uMhlathuze Sports Complex
The University of Pretoria FC fell to a 2-0 defeat away at Milford FC at the uMhlathuze Sports Complex on Saturday, the promotion-chasing hosts taking the points in a contest that underlined the gulf between a side pushing for the playoff places and a Tuks group still working through head coach Kwanele Kopo’s first-season rebuild.
Milford set the tempo from the start
Milford arrived at kick-off sitting second in the Motsepe Foundation Championship and pushing hard for the promotion playoff places, and the hosts played with the urgency that position demands. The home side took control of proceedings through the first half and built a platform AmaTuks could not consistently break, with the noise around the uMhlathuze Sports Complex growing as the contest tilted in the Richards Bay side’s favour.
The visitors search for a way back
To Tuks’s credit, the application across the 90 minutes did not falter. There were spells where the contest could have shifted with a single moment — but the second goal for the hosts settled the question and left the visitors chasing a result that had drifted out of reach.
The 2-0 scoreline reflects the day’s dominant tempo and the difference in what the two sides were playing for. AmaTuks have spent the campaign learning under a coaching staff with a long-term plan; Milford have spent it chasing one of the biggest prizes in the second tier. Both directions of travel showed up at uMhlathuze on Saturday.
Where this leaves AmaTuks
The defeat follows the home loss to Lerumo Lions on 2 May and leaves Tuks in the lower half of the Motsepe Foundation Championship table, mathematically safe but well outside the promotion conversation. Head coach Kwanele Kopo’s project remains the longer-term frame for everything happening on the senior pitch — the rebuild has shown in flashes across the campaign and continues to set the direction for the 2026/27 push.
Off the senior team, the wider club picture has had moments to celebrate. The return of Luvuyo Phewa on a second loan spell from Mamelodi Sundowns and the AmaTuks Ladies relaunch with new sponsorship and 16 new signings have both reinforced the long-game work going on across the structure. The senior result on Saturday is part of one chapter; the broader story continues.
Final word
A 2-0 setback in Richards Bay does not change the direction of the build. AmaTuks finish the season with a clear plan, a head coach with a clear vision, and the foundations to push from here. Tuks Stadium will see plenty more in 2026/27 — the work, for now, continues.
