“Mother of all battles” awaits Lidoda duvha

After losing 0-1 to Supersport United at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, Black Leopards are gearing up for their toughest battle ever. They will entertain Amazulu FC in their all-important Absa Premiership League encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium outside Pretoria tomorrow afternoon (Saturday).

Amazulu and Leopards are fighting for survival and tomorrow’s match is likely to determine the team that will escape the relegation axe at the end of the season. Amazulu, or Usuthu as they are widely known, are lying in the second last position on the log with 25 points from 27 outings. The Thohoyandou outfit are perched in the fourth position from the bottom of the log with the same number of points and matches.

Lidoda duvha will be without their number one goalkeeper, King Ndlovu, tomorrow. Ndlovu, who saved a penalty in their game against Supersport United on Tuesday, was taken off the field on a stretcher towards the end of the game. Jonas Mendes or Rotshidzwa Muleka is likely to guard the goal posts in the absence of Ndlovu.

Asked to comment about the match, the Leopards’ caretaker coach, Mr Morgan Shivambu, described the match as “the mother of all battles”. He revealed that they would go all out for victory, saying a draw would do them more harm than good. “Should the other relegation candidates, Polokwane City and Baroka FC, win their matches and we play to a draw or lose the match, we shall drop to the bottom of the log,” he said.

Mr Shivambu’s counterpart in the Amazulu camp, Mr Ayanda Dlamini, said that Supersport had done them a big favour by beating Leopards on Tuesday. He stressed the fact they would have had a mountain to climb in their three remaining matches if Lidoda duvha had won against Supersport United. Tomorrow’s game is scheduled to start at 15:30.

Black Leopards will host Bidvest Wits at the FNB Stadium next Wednesday, 2 September, starting at 18:00. The other PSL weekend fixtures are: Orlando Pirates vs Supersport United, Highlands Park vs Maritzburg United, Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Cape Town City, Bloemfontein Celtic vs Polokwane City, Bidvest Wits vs Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns vs Baroka FC.   

Sport - Date: 28 August 2020

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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