Black Leopards dropped two vital points when they drew 1-1 with Benoni Premier United in their Castle Premiership League match at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday night. As usual, Leopards displayed entertaining football from the onset, but failed to find their way through the defence of United.

The absence of Leopards’ midfielder, Robert Ngambi, was evident from the start. The players who were manning the midfield, Christopher Netshidzivhe, Fisher Kakonde and Tebogo Mashaba, were displaying individual skills most of the time, instead of playing as a team and creating more scoring chances for their strikers.

A defender of United, Thabiso Gopane, handled the ball within his own penalty area. The Kimberly-based referee, Robert Smith, was quick to point at the white spot, awarding a penalty to Lidoda Duvha. Rudzani Ramudzuli scored. The referee then ordered a retake, on the basis that the players of United had advanced into the box before the penalty was taken. Ramudzuli made his second attempt, but this time around he was unlucky as the United keeper, Tsenuwa Nimkonde, stretched to the limit to make a brilliant save.

Ramudzuli’s failure to score seemed to have affected his team mates negatively. As if they were spectators, they watched the opponents penetrating through their wall until Sello Mlhambi released a rocket that was too hot for the Leopards’ keeper to handle.

The home side used all their three substitution chances. They replaced Mulondo Sikhwivhilu, Tebogo Mashaba and Rudzani Ramudzuli with Solly Masango, Jabalani Maluleke and Walter Ramulondi respectively. Their equalizer came ten minutes before the final whistle. Their Namibian international, Fisher Kakonde, scored from the right corner.