The newly appointed coach of Black Leopards, Mr Jairos Tapera, is confident that his team will be campaigning in the Absa Premiership Division come next season.
The Zimbabwean recently joined Lidoda Duvha on a three-year contract. In an interview after his team's 4-0 victory over Milano United at the Thohoyandou Stadium last Saturday, Tapera said that he was aware of the fact that the season had just started and that they still had 26 league matches to play.
"I am aware of the fact the league competition is a marathon, but we are ready to absorb the heat," he said. When asked about his mandate, the 50-year-old mentor said that his mandate was to take the club to the Absa Premiership Division at the end of the current season. Asked whether the mandate was achievable, the soft-spoken Tapera said that, with the support he was getting from the management and the players, it was possible.
When asked whether he was happy with the current squad, he said that he was not satisfied, adding that he would be working with what was available at that moment until the next registration window opened in January next year.
Before joining the Thohoyandou outfit, Tapera was the head coach for the Zimbabwean U/20 national team. He played for Black Rhinos FC and Tongogara FC before hanging up his boots in 1995. His coaching career started in 1996 when he guided Vesamnyathi FC from the First Division to the Premier Division. He then moved to Tongogara FC, a team he guided from 1998 to 1999. It was during his tenure as the head coach that Tongogara FC gained promotion to the Premier League.
In 2010, Mr Tapera migrated to Zvishavane town to coach the then First Division side, Platinum FC. Platinum FC gained promotion to the Zimbabwean Premier League the following year under his guidance.
Black Leopards have played four league matches to date, winning two, drawing one and losing one. They are currently in the second position on the log. Their next league match will be against Mthatha Bucks at the Mthatha Stadium tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.