Black Leopards are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the new soccer season. The Premier Soccer League recently announced that the 2024/25 Motsepe Foundation Championship season would kick off over the weekend of 22-24 August.
According to the chairman of Black Leopards, Mr Tshifhiwa Thidiela, the team resumed training on Tuesday, 24 June. Thidiela said they had decided to give the technical staff a full two months to prepare for the new season to avoid a repeat of last year, when Leopards narrowly missed out on a promotional playoff spot by just one point. He made it clear their goal this time is to secure automatic promotion to the Betway Premiership Division.
When asked about possible new signings, Thidiela confirmed that supporters can expect to see several new faces in the squad. He revealed that the club would part ways with a number of players from last season to make room for new signings.
Although Thidiela did not disclose the names of the departing players, this publication can confirm that among those leaving Lidoda Duvha are Tebogo Makobela, Nkosephayo Mavundla and Malawian international Rafic Namwera.
Thidiela declined to comment on speculation about changes to the technical team. He said that, for now, Joel Masutha remains the head coach, with Abel Makhubele continuing as his assistant. Any changes, he added, would be communicated through the appropriate platforms.
Thidiela praised both Masutha and Makhubele for their work last season, pointing out that they had joined the club late yet still managed to guide the team to the brink of promotion.