Black Leopards F.C.
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| Full name | Black Leopards Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Lidoda Duvha (The day will come) | ||
| Founded | 1983 (as Sibasa Black Leopards) | ||
| Ground | Thohoyandou Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 20,000[1] | ||
| Owner | Thidiela Family | ||
| Chairman | Tshifhiwa "Chief" Thidiela | ||
| Manager | Alejandro Dorado | ||
| League | National First Division | ||
| 2022–23 | National First Division, 16th of 16 (relegated, purchased the status of All Stars[2]) | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Black Leopards FC is a South African professional football club based in Thohoyandou, Vhembe Region, Limpopo, that plays in the National First Division.
History[edit]
The club was founded in 1983 by business people in the Vhembe Region. In 1998 the club was taken over by the Thidiela family.[3] After just two seasons of campaigning in the National First Division, Black Leopards FC was promoted to the ABSA Premier Soccer League.
In 2008 they were relegated back to the National First Division after playing for seven seasons in the Absa Premiership but the club made its return to the top tier division three years later.
Honours[edit]
- First Division Inland Stream: 1
- 2000-01
- National First Division promotion/relegation playoffs: 2
Club records[edit]
- Most starts:
Christopher Netshidzivhe 163 - Most goals: Mulondo Sikhwivhilu 44
- Most capped player:
Robert Ng'ambi - Most starts in a season: Nkosiyabo Xakane 36 (2011–12)
- Most goals in a season: David Zulu 16 (2013–14)
- Record victory: 7–1 vs Bush Bucks (13/4/02), (PSL)
- Record defeat: 0–5 vs Kaizer Chiefs (9/9/03), (PSL)
Premier Soccer League record[edit]
- 2001–02 – 8th
- 2002–03 – 11th
- 2003–04 – 8th
- 2004–05 – 14th
- 2005–06 – 12th
- 2006–07 – 11th
- 2007–08 – 15th (relegated)
- 2011–12 – 14th
- 2012–13 – 16th (relegated)
- 2018–19 – 13th
- 2019–20 – 15th
- 2020–21 – 16th (relegated)
Club officials/Technical team[edit]
Notable former coaches[edit]
- Milo Bjelica (1999)
Jacob Sakala- Jan Simulambo (2000)
- Gavin Hunt (July 2001 – 2 June)
Arnaldo Salvado (2002)
Walter Rautmann (2003)- Ephraim Mashaba (Feb 2004 – 5 March)
Jean-Yves Kerjean (2005)- Boebie Solomons (April 2006 – 8 March)
Bibey Mutombo (July 2006 – 6 Oct)- Mlungisi Ngubane (Nov 2006 – 7 Jan)
Hans-Dieter Schmidt (Jan 2007 – 7 June)- Joel Masutha (interim) (March 2008)
Augustine Eguavoen (March 2008)
Sheppard Murape (March 2008 – 8 June)- Joel Masutha (June 2008 – 9 June)
Mario Marinica (June 2009 – 10 June)
Vladislav Heric (2009–10)- Sunday Chidzambwa (Oct 2010 – 11 Oct)
- Vladislav Heric (Oct 2011 – 12 May)
- Sunday Chidzambwa (May 2012 – 12 Oct)
- Ian Palmer (Oct 2012 – 12 Dec)
- Abel Makhubela (interim) (Jan 2013–)
- Kostadin Papic ( August 2013 – May 2014)
- Zeca Marques (June 2014–20xx)
Jean-Francois Losciuto (−2017)- Ivan Minnaert (2017)
- Cavin Johnson (2019–2020)
References[edit]
- ^ "Thohoyandou Stadium". Limpopo Tourism. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Black Leopards buy Motsepe Foundation Championship status!". The South African. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Black Leopards FC | Lidoda Duvha". www.blackleopardsfc.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2018.