A must win for Black Leopards

This weekend marks the end of the Absa Premiership League programme for the current season. Lidoda Duvha, who are currently lying in the second-last position on the log, have a mountain to climb. They must win their match against Cape Town City at the Thohoyandou Stadium if they are serious about retaining their Absa Premiership franchise.

Failure to collect the maximum points might mean that Leopards will face automatic relegation to the lower division or partake in the promotional playoffs, which are scheduled to start next Wednesday, 15 May.

The local lads are in a neck-and-neck situation with Free State Stars and Chippa United with 27 points each.

Maritzburg United are at the bottom of the log with 26 points. Should they play to a draw with Cape Town City tomorrow, Leopards will hope that the other relegation candidates, Maritzburg United, Free State Stars and Chippa United, lose their matches.

Mr Dylan Kerr, the Leopards’ head coach, is adamant that the pride of Vhembe will still be campaigning in the elite division next season.

According to him, they will not rely on the results of the other matches. “All we want is to beat Cape Town City and be sure of a place in the Premiership Division next season, instead of relying on the results of the other matches,” he said.

Leopards lost 1-3 to City in their first-round league match at the Cape Town Stadium about six months ago.

The combination of Mwape Musonda, Joseph Mhlongo, Lifa Hlongwane and Karabo Tshepe in the Leopards’ striking force has the potential to break the City’s solid wall of defence.

The other fixtures are: Supersport United vs Highlands Park, Baroka FC vs Maritzburg United, Bloemfontein Celtic vs Amazulu, Chippa United vs Kaizer Chiefs, Free State Stars vs Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates vs Polokwane City and Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Bidvest Wits.

Date:10 May 2019

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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