Venda Football Club (VFC) did not return to Thohoyandou after their midweek Motsepe Foundation Championship match against Upington City, which was played at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs Stadium in Upington. Instead, the team remained in the Northern Cape to await their next match against Hungry Lions at the same venue on Saturday.
The result of their match against Upington City was not available at the time of going to print. VFC were in ninth position with 27 points before the game, while Hungry Lions were in third place, one point behind the pace-setters, Milford FC, ahead of their midweek match against Leicesterford City.
VFC head coach Clinton Larsen told Limpopo Mirror before the team left for Upington that they were aiming to “plunder the Northern Cape” and revive their hopes of promotion. Hungry Lions head coach Henry Basie said everyone in their camp was aware that dropping points on Saturday would jeopardise the team’s chances of promotion.
VFC, or Maunavhathu as they are also known, were beaten 3-1 by Hungry Lions in their first-round league match at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday, 27 September last year. Larsen assured the team’s enthusiastic supporters that history would not repeat itself on Saturday. Breaking Maunavhathu’s defence, marshalled by Nhlanhla Makhubele and Tshovelo Mathebula, will not be an easy task for the Lions’ strikers.
Judging from their performances in the team’s last two matches, Matimu Tshabalala, Tshepo Mofokeng and Thifhelimbilu Magalela are likely to be in Maunavhathu’s starting eleven on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, Black Leopards will entertain University of Pretoria FC at Thohoyandou Stadium.