While the struggle for promotion and to escape relegation at the end of the season is continuing among the rest of the affiliates for the National First Division (NFD), the situation is different for Black Leopards.

Leopards will not play their league matches, probably until the end of the ongoing African Nations Cup, which is hosted by Angola.

The reason for their exemption from participating in the league activities comes after three of Lidoda duvha’s foreign players were selected to be part of the national teams for their respective countries. In terms of the rules and regulations of the Premier Soccer League, a team can only be exempted from taking part in the league activities if more than two of their players are not available, due to commitment in a national team’s activities.

The Thohoyandou outfit is affected by the rule as three of their Malawian international players, Peter Mponda, Robert Ngambi and Fischer Kondowe, are part of their national squad that is in Angola. Leopards can only resume with their league activities before the end of the African Nations Cup tournament if Malawi fails to reach the knockout stage of the competition.

Leopards were supposed to have played against University of Pretoria FC at the Tshifulanani Stadium last Saturday afternoon. Their match against Winners Park FC, which was scheduled for tomorrow at the Seshego Stadium in Polokwane, has been postponed for the same reason.

Leopards’ general manager, Mr Samuel Khaphathe, says although the backlog is likely to have some detrimental effects on the team’s performance, they have a good catch-up programme. In the only match that will be played this evening, starting at 19:30, University of Pretoria will host the pace setters, African Warriors, at the Absa Tuks Stadium in Pretoria.

Warriors are still in mourning, following their 0-2 defeat at the hands of Witbank Spurs last Saturday. Two matches will be played on Sunday. United FC will lock horns with Dynamos at the DP de Villiers Stadium in Sasolburg. The match between Batau FC and Witbank Spurs will be played at the Mpumalanga Stadium.