After playing to a 1-1 draw against Milford FC in their Motsepe Foundation Championship League match at Thohoyandou last Saturday, Black Leopards face another mountain to climb on Friday afternoon. Lidoda Duvha will visit Baroka FC in their Limpopo derby at the Global Stadium in Lebowakgomo.
Beating Baroka will not be a walk in the park for Black Leopards, considering that Baroka are yet to lose a league match under the guidance of their new head coach, Mr Joel Masutha. Masutha took over as head coach last month when the team was among the five fighting for survival at the bottom of the log.
Bakgakga, as they are also known, have collected seven points under Masutha's leadership. Their latest impressive result was a 4-2 victory over Venda Football Club at the same venue last Saturday.
In an interview, Masutha said his plan was to win as many home matches as possible and grab at least one point away. He added that he would not have accepted the job offer from Baroka if winning the league title were beyond reach. Baroka are now lying in eighth position on the log standings, while Lidoda Duvha have dropped to fifth with 20 points, five behind the pace-setters, Durban City.
Black Leopards' number-one goalkeeper, Mwenya Chibwe, and the team's captain, Thendo Mukumela, are doubtful starters for Saturday's game. Chibwe and Mukumela were both taken off the pitch on stretchers with injuries in their game against Milford FC. Should Mukumela not be available on Saturday, the likes of Siphelele Magubane, Amukelani Chauke, and Tebogo Thangwana will be expected to step up.