After a break of two weeks, the teams competing in the Motsepe Foundation Championship League will be in action again this weekend. The game that is expected to produce some fireworks will be the Limpopo derby between Black Leopards and Baroka FC that will be played at the Global Stadium in Lebowakgomo on Sunday afternoon.
Apart from the fact that sparks usually fly in derby games, something else makes Sunday's fixture an extraordinary derby. Black Leopards and Baroka are fighting for survival. Lidoda duvha are rooted at the bottom of the log while Baroka, or Bakgakga as they are affectionately called, are lying in the fourth spot from the bottom of the log.
The last two teams on the log standings will be relegated to the lower division at the end of the season. Black Leopards' performance is improving with time after Mr Owen da Gama took over as the head coach for the team early last month. The good news for Leopards is that the team's scoring machine, Tiklas Thutlwa, will be available for selection on Sunday.
Thutlwa was taken off the pitch on a stretcher in their game against Casric Stars that was played at the Malamulele Stadium two weeks ago. Should he be in the team's first 11, Thutlwa is expected to form a good combination with Matimu Tshabalala in the striking force. Tshabalala scored Leopards' only goal in their game against Casric Stars. The final score was 1-1.
Venda Football Academy will play against Pretoria Callies at the Soshanguve Giant Stadium outside Pretoria. The other weekend fixtures are Casric Stars vs MM Platinum, Hungry Lions vs Uthongathi FC, JDR Stars vs Cape Town Spurs, Polokwane City vs University of Pretoria, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC vs Cape Town All Stars and Magesi FC vs Platinum City Rovers.