Following their promotion to the Premiership Division at the end of last season, Black Leopards will undergo an acid test tomorrow evening when they will host Polokwane City in their opening Absa Premiership League fixture.
The match will be staged either at the Thohoyandou Stadium or Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. A PSL technical committee inspected the Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday and the outcome was not yet avalilable at the time of going to press.
The match will start at 18:00.
Leopards proved that they are ready to absorb the elite-league heat by winning the Limpopo Legacy Spectacular Tournament at the Giyani Stadium a fortnight ago. Four teams, Black Leopards, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), Baroka FC and Ndengeza FC, took part in the tournament.
Lidoda Duvha beefed up their squad from last season by signing a number of experienced players. They include Tumelo Khutlang, Thabo Makgothi, Aphiwe Lubisi and two regulars of TTM from last season, Themba Ndlovu and Lesedi Kapinga.
Leopards' defenders, Jean Munganga, Isaac Masia and Marks Munyai, must keep a watchful eye on the City's top goal scorer, Rodney Ramagalela, or else they will regret it.
The first-round PSL match that is expected to attract a huge crowd will be between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria tomorrow afternoon. The other fixtures for tomorrow are: Bidvest Wits vs Free State Stars, Cape Town City vs SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates vs Highlands Park and Amazulu vs Baroka.
In the two matches that will be played on Sunday, Bloemfontein Celtic will host Chippa United at the Dr Molemela Stadium, while Maritzburg United will entertain Golden Arrows at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg.
Next Tuesday's (7 August) fixtures are: Kaizer Chiefs vs Bidvest Wits and Polokwane City vs Mamelodi Sundowns. Four matches will be played next Wednesday (8 August): Free State Stars vs Maritzburg United, SuperSport United vs Amazulu, Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Bloemfontein Celtic, Baroka FC vs Cape Town City and Chippa United vs Orlando Pirates.
Black Leopards will travel to the Makhulong Stadium in Thembisa for their first away league encounter against the newly promoted Highlands Park next Thursday, 9 August.