Black Leopards striker Themba “Messi” Ndlovu is hoping for a change of fortune for his club in the 2020-21 DStv Premiership new season.
Lidoda Duvha are regular relegation campaigners, and it didn’t come as a surprise when they retained their league status via the playoffs in the 2019-20 season in the bio-bubble.
The 27-year-old Mpumalanga-born forward still has three years to go in his contract with the Venda-based outfit. However, he does not want to spend his remaining years in Limpopo fighting relegation.
Lidoda Duvha were the last PSL team to leave the bio-bubble after taking part in the relegation/promotion playoffs where they saw off the challenge from Ajax Cape Town and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) to hold onto their league status.
The players reported for a pre-season training camp yesterday. “We’ve been given an extended break to spend time with our families after spending more time in the bubble. The club called us for a meeting yesterday,” Ndlovu said.
Ndlovu found the back of the net on four occasions in the recently concluded season. He started five games and came off the bench in 10 matches, playing under four different coaches in one season. In the bubble, the talented striker scored two goals against his former team TTM.
But he is aiming for double figures to improve on his goal-scoring ability in the new season. “I’m hoping that next season we could be in the top 8 for a change. We are tired of fighting for relegation. It’s not a nice feeling if you're down there, while others are up there,” he said.
Ndlovu, who completed a sports management diploma at TUT, is looking forward to the Limpopo derbies against his former employers TTM and Baroka FC. Ndlovu scored a brace in the bubble in the 2-1 victory against TTM. Out of respect for his former team, he did not celebrate.
“TTM gave me my first professional contract and it would have been disrespectful for me to celebrate the two goals. I’m looking forward to the derbies in the new season, but I won’t celebrate if I score against TTM again in the PSL. My teammates teased me for not celebrating [in the playoffs], but I just laughed about it after the game.”
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