Black Leopards F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Black Leopards Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | 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 | ||
| Coach | Sundra Govinder and Duncan Lechesa | ||
| League | National First Division | ||
| 2024–25 | National First Division, 4th of 16 | ||
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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
The club was founded in 1983 by business people in the Vhembe Region. In 1998 the club was taken over by the Thidiela family.[2] After just two seasons of campaigning in the National First Division, Black Leopards was promoted to the 2001–02 South African Premiership.
In 2008, the club was relegated back to the National First Division after playing for seven seasons in the Premiership, but made its return to the top tier three years later.
Following their 16th place finish in the 2022–23 season, the club was due to be relegated. However, Leopards purchased the status from All Stars to remain in the division.[3]
Following a dispute with a former All Stars player, FIFA imposed a transfer ban on the club at the end of the 2024–25 season. This resulted in the club having only ten players available for the first game of the 2025–26 season, a 3–0 loss to Casric Stars.[4] The club was cleared to utilise its new players in October 2025, prior to the fifth game of the season.[5]
Honours
- First Division Inland Stream: 1
- 2000-01
- National First Division promotion/relegation playoffs: 2
- 2010–11
- 2017–18
League record
National First Division
- 1996–97 – 1st (Northern Stream)
- 1997–98 – 8th (Inland Stream)
- 1998–99 – 9th (Inland Stream)
- 1999–2000 – 6th (Inland Stream)
- 2000–01 – 1st (Inland Stream, promoted)
Premiership
- 2001–02 – 8th
- 2002–03 – 11th
- 2003–04 – 8th
- 2004–05 – 14th
- 2005–06 – 12th
- 2006–07 – 11th
- 2007–08 – 15th (relegated)
National First Division
- 2008–09 – 6th (Inland Stream)
- 2009–19 – 1st (Inland Stream)
- 2010–11 – 2nd (Inland Stream, promoted)
Premiership
- 2011–12 – 14th
- 2012–13 – 16th (relegated)
- 2018–19 – 13th
- 2019–20 – 15th
- 2020–21 – 16th (relegated)
National First Division
- 2021–22 – 9th
- 2022–23 – 16th (relegated, purchased status to remain)[3]
- 2023–24 – 10th
- 2024–25 – 4th
Notable coaches
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)
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Jean-Francois Losciuto (−2017)- Ivan Minnaert (2017)
- Cavin Johnson (2019–2020)
- Alan Clark
Maxwell Konadu (2024–2025)[6]- Mabhuti Khenyeza (2025–2026)[7]
- Sundra Govinder and Duncan Lechesa (2026–)[8]
References
- ^ "Thohoyandou Stadium". Limpopo Tourism. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Black Leopards FC | Lidoda Duvha". www.blackleopardsfc.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ a b Makhaya, Ernest (10 May 2023). "Black Leopards buy Motsepe Foundation Championship status!". The South African. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- ^ Munyai, Ofhani (25 August 2025). "'I am sorry' - David Thidiela apologises over player shortage drama". FARPost. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ Munyai, Ofhani (4 October 2025). "New signings that are cleared to play for Black Leopards". Farpost. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ Munyai, Ofhani (2 July 2024). "Black Leopards appoint Ghanaian coach ahead of new season". FARPost. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Rabothe, Tshepo (11 November 2025). "DONE DEAL: Mabhuti Khenyeza lands new coaching job". Farpost. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ Munyai, Ofhani (16 February 2026). "Sundra Govender and Duncan Lechesa join Black Leopards". FARPost ZA. Retrieved 21 February 2026.