EXPLAINER | What sank former top-flight side Black Leopards?

Black Leopards became the second Limpopo side to be relegated from the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) this weekend, following in the footsteps of Baroka, whose fate was decided last week.

Lidoda Duvha were relegated on Sunday, despite beating provincial rivals Venda 2-1 at Thohoyandou Stadium in their penultimate MFC fixture, thanks to other results that didn’t go in their favour.

Here are some factors that contributed to Leopards’ demotion.

• Fifa ban: Last August Leopards had to field 10 men with one substitution on the bench in their league opener against Casric Stars at Thohoyandou Stadium. This was because Lidoda Duvha couldn’t register new players due to a debt they “unknowingly” inherited from All Stars FC when they purchased their MFC status in 2023. They lost the controversial fixture 3-0, in which Leopards skipper and centre-back Thendo Mukumela played as a makeshift goalkeeper.
• Leopards would play the next four fixtures without a full squad since they couldn’t properly comply with MFC’s Under-23 rule, which stipulates that a team must have a minimum of five players in that age group and two of them on the pitch at all times. Two months later, Fifa would allow them to register players.
• Change of coaches: Lidoda Duvha started the season with Joel Masutha at the helm before he was replaced by Mabhuti Khenyeza in November. Khenyeza was fired after 10 games, with Duncan Lechesa and Sundra Govender taking over as co-coaches until they were relegated. This destabilised the team.
• Poor home form: Leopards only won four of their 14 games with six draws and five defeats.

NB: Leopards have since approached arbitration to request a replay of four fixtures, feeling the PSL should have waited for Fifa’s official ruling on a transfer ban before it decided they couldn’t register players.