Soccer extravaganza in Thohoyandou

Thohoyandou Stadium will be a hive of activity this weekend. Two National First Division League matches will be staged there.

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) will host the University of Pretoria (Amatuks) tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon. Both TTM and Amatuks are close contenders for the league title. TTM are in the fourth position on the log, while Amatuks are one point behind them.

TTM’s Zimbabwean centre back, Carlington Nyadombo, will watch tomorrow’s game from the grandstand. He is still serving his suspension after seeing red in their game against Black Leopards at the same venue two weeks ago.

Good news for TTM is that they will welcome their left back, Teboho Kalake, and a dribbling wizard, Lesedi Kapinga, back to the team tomorrow.

Kalake missed last weekend’s match against Witbank Spurs as he was still under suspension. Kapinga was still nursing an injury that he sustained in their game against Black Leopards.

It remains to be seen whether Amatuks’ defenders will have the power to stop TTM’s forwards, Monde Mpambaniso, Aluwani Nedzamba and Thamba Ndlovu.

Black Leopards will entertain Royal Eagles at the same venue on Sunday. Royal Eagles are in top form of late, following their appointment of the former Black Leopards’ head coach, Mr Kostadin Papic, as the team’s new head coach last month.

Leopards’ right back, Isaac Masia, will be available for selection tomorrow. Masia missed last weekend’s match against Cape Town All Stars because of suspension. Should he be given a chance, it is expected that Masia will form a deadly combination with Jean Munganga, Marks Munyai and Khuliso Mudau at the far back.

Lidoda Duvha will be without their left winger, Xolani Ndlovu, who is still nursing a knee injury.

Other NFD matches that will be played this weekend are Cape Town All Stars vs Ubuntu Cape Town, Highlands Park FC vs Richards Bay FC, Jomo Cosmos vs Witbank Spurs, Mthatha Bucks vs Mbombela United, Super Eagles vs Stellenbosch FC and Uthongathi FC vs Real Kings.

Date:26 January 2018

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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