Leopards and Spurs in draw

Black Leopards failed to impress their home crowd, when they played to a goalless draw with Witbank Spurs in their NFD League match at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday.

The result was not a true reflection of the game, as Lidoda Duvha were by far the better side when it came to ball possession. Realising that their scoring chances were slim, Spurs played defensive football for the better part of the game, relying on counter-attacks.

The home side created numerous scoring chances in the opening minutes of the game. Their leading goal scorer, Mwape Musonda, was unfortunate in the 11th minute. He received a neat pass from Ivan Mahangwahaya and unleashed aimlessly from close range. The ball missed the target by inches, much to the fans’ disappointment.

The only time the Leopards’ keeper, Aifimi Adelhbola, was put to the test, was when Sabelo Nyembe went loose from the right corner and unleashed a ground cutter from the edge of the box. Adelhbola braved the shot and fisted the ball away for a corner kick.

The home side introduced Lebohang Mabotja for Siyabulela Shai early in the last half.

Khuliso Mudau of Leopards was the first player to go into the referee’s book. He obstructed Patrick Mubayiwa in the 57th minute. Leopards effected another change to their starting line-up when they replaced Mwape Musonda with their new signee, Ellesah Mensah.

Leopards’ overlapping left back, Ivan Mahangwahaya, shot wide from close range in the 74th minute.

The Spurs from eMalahleni solidified their defence by replacing two of their strikers, Moses Raphelele and Sabelo Nyembe, with the defenders, Innocent Shabalala and Sici Shelembe respectively. The Spurs’ keeper, Austin Dube, was booked for time-wasting four minutes before the referee blew the final whistle.

Sport - Date: 15 December 2017

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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