Leopards look to keep up great form

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Jan 18, 2019. 09:59

Black Leopards will look to keep up their great form in the Absa Premiership when they host Golden Arrows at Thohoyandou Stadium on 19 January 2019, kick-off at 20h15.

Leopards claimed a third successive league win when they defeated SuperSport United 2-0 at home on January 12, thanks to a brace of goals from striker Mwape Musonda – he has scored six goals in the Limpopo side’s last six league games.

Lidoda Duvha have claimed 13 points from eight home matches this season. The last team to beat them in Thohoyandou was Bidvest Wits, who triumphed 1-0 in early December.

Arrows have taken four points from their two matches in 2019 thus far, with their last outing a 1-1 draw away to Bloemfontein Celtic in which Knox Mutizwa scored the goal for the Durban side.

Abafana Bes’thende have claimed nine points from as many away matches this season. Their only win on the road was 2-0 at provincial rivals Maritzburg United on the first weekend of the 2018/19 campaign.

In head-to-head stats, Arrows and Leopards have met in 19 top-flight league matches since 2001/02. Abafana Bes’thende have claimed eight wins compared to five for Lidoda Duvha, while six games have been drawn. The Limpopo side has won five of their nine home matches in the rivalry, suffering just one defeat in the process.

When the teams met earlier this season, Arrows claimed a 1-0 home win at Princess Magogo Stadium in October 2018 thanks to a second-half strike from Knox Mutizwa. That was the teams’ first top flight meeting in more than five and a half years.

Leopards’ line-up from their 2-0 win over SuperSport on January 12: K. Ndlovu, Munyai, Masia, Munganga, Zulu, Mudau, Bereng (Mokoena 90’), Masalesa, Hlongwane (Kapinga 90+4’), Musonda, Tshepe (Mhlongo 80’).

Arrows’ line-up from their 1-1 draw with Celtic on January 13: Gumede, Sibisi, Mathiane, Mzava, Lunga, Conco (Sibiya 46’), Phiri, Parusnath (Moreira 60’), Venter, Mutizwa (Magubane 78’), Lamola.