PSL gives new Black Leopards home green light

The Malamulele Stadium in Vhembe District, Limpopo, has finally been given the green light by the PSL to host professional matches.

The Stadium will now play host to crowd pullers Black Leopards for their Motsepe Foundation Championship matches.

As FARPost reported, Leopards have been forced to move out of their regular Thohoyandou Stadium precinct, citing overpriced charges by the Thulamela Municipality.

They have been offered the newly refurbished 15 000 capacity venue.

PSL COO Professor Ronnie Schloss visited the facility twice this year before giving it the heads up.

“Our stadium is finally complete and has met all the requirements set by the PSL. Our pitch is superb, and our dressing rooms have air conditioners because we wanted to be a unique stadium,” Municipality spokesperson Robert Mathye told FARPost.

“The PSL has approved it, and as such, they have updated their fixtures meaning that Black Leopards will play all their home fixtures at Malamulele Stadium starting from the 3rd of August against Hungry Lions at 15h00,” he said.

“It is a modern stadium with track fields and will even host evening matches.”

The PSL has also informed all clubs about the venue changes. This is after the draft fixture released by the league had indicated that Leopards would be hosting their matches in Thohoyandou.

Lidoda Duvha will open their campaign with a home match against Hungry Lions on Saturday, 3 September.

The Thohoyandou Stadium was once neglected and used as a cricket playground by the local Pakistan community between 2011 and 2013 before Leopards returned to use the venue for their home matches. They were using the Giyani Stadium at the time.

Leopards have always had an on and off relationship with the Thulamela municipality over the usage of the Thohoyandou Stadium. But it is worth noting that it was the club that revived the football culture in the Venda community.