The former Black Leopards’ goalkeeper, Rotshidzwa “Bomber” Muleka, is among the players who are likely to be in Venda Football Club (VFC) colours when the Motsepe Foundation Championship League programme for the new season starts next month.

Venda Football FC was known as Venda Football Academy (VFA) until the end of last month. The club was renamed at the beginning of this month.

Muleka, together with former Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila striker Moeketsi Sekola, has been training with the Thohoyandou side for the past three weeks. Muleka and Sekola were part of VFC’s squad that took part in the one-day tournament staged at the Global Stadium in Lebowakgomo last Saturday. The tournament was organised by the host club, Baroka FC.

The 31-year-old Muleka had parted ways with Black Leopards towards the end of last year. His departure from Lidoda Duvha had rendered him a free agent for the remaining part of the season.

His professional football career started when he was spotted by a scout from Baroka FC while he was still playing for the amateur side, Tshifudi XI Experience, about 11 years ago. He stayed at Baroka FC for only one season before he migrated to Black Leopards. His relationship with Lidoda Duvha gradually turned sour in the beginning of last season, and the two parties finally parted ways at the end of the year.

Moeketsi Sekola is not a new name in the history of South African football. He played for several teams, including Highlands Park and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, and the now-defunct Free State Stars over the past years. He was the league’s top goal scorer while playing for Free State Stars nine years ago.

Asked whether the duo would be parading in VFC’s colours next season, the chairman of the club, Mr Itani Munzhelele, said that he was not even aware of the fact that Muleka and Sekola were trying their luck with his club. He said that he would only know the players who would form part of next season’s squad when the team’s head coach, Mr Joel Masutha, submitted the names of the players who had impressed the technical team at the trials towards the beginning of the season.