The day shall come for Thohoyandou kings Black Leopards

By Andile Dladla and Mandla Dladla

With the domestic league championships from all over the world getting in full swing early indications are that spectators could brace themselves for what promises to be a bumper football season.

Followers of various teams in the Motsepe Foundation Championship are no exceptions with particularly fans of tradition steeped far Northern side Black Leopards anxiously waiting for the kick off with even greater anticipation.

The club failed in their attempt to regain their Premiership status last year but Nndwamato Mbedzi, a passionate and long serving fan of the Limpopo based outfit cannot wait for his heroes to get the championship underway.

Mbedzi confessed that his love for Leopards date back to the year 2000 when the team was established to represent football lovers from the Venda area.

“The type of football that was displayed by the players of the era was just fantastic and attracted me to the club,” said Mbedzi. “I aspired to be like those players as it motivated me to want to achieve and to one day also play for Lidoda Duvha’.

“However, life doesn’t always present us with what we want and so was the case with me and with time moving I realized that my love for this team is different and I will be a supporter for life.

“With a team like Kaizer Chiefs enjoying the biggest support in South Africa, it had to be different for the people of Limpopo.

“We were and will always be blessed to have a life Chairman in David Thidiela who made it his life mission for us to have a team from our beautiful province playing against teams in the DStv Premiership.

“The Thohoyandou stadium would always be packed when we (Leopards) played opponents from Gauteng like Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. That was a great experience for us and for that we remain eternally grateful to Mr Thidiela.”

The chairman once said it is time to pass over the baton to the younger generation and it’s important that they learn from him so that even when he is no longer available the club should continue to help young boys and girls from surrounding villages to become good role models and that also helps a lot families.

“My message to all Leopards loyalists is for us to unite behind the team so that our Boys can push all the way. The stadiums are fully open for us and we need to make sure we fill them to full capacity so that we are all happy come the end of the season.”