Clean sheet for new Leopards’ coach

The new head coach of Black Leopards, Mr Dylan Kerr, has something to be proud of. His team is still to lose a league match under his guidance.

Kerr replaced the team’s former head coach, Mr Joel Masutha, last month. He watched his team’s league game against Bidvest Wits University from the corridor, pending the issuing of his work permit. Leopards lost 0-1 to Wits at the Thohoyandou Stadium.

He was on the team’s technical bench for the first time in their game against Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg last Wednesday evening, a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. The 51-year-old Englishman steered his side to a 3-1 victory over Amazulu at the Thohoyandou Stadium last Saturday.

During an interview shortly after their game against Amazulu, Kerr was quick to mention that collecting four points in two matches was a clear indication that the team was moving in the right direction. He said that winning their match against Amazulu was a must, because Usuthu were one of the sides fighting for survival.

“It was important for us to win at home, so that when we go to Baroka FC in the first week of January, our players will be self-motivated” he said. He further indicated that the fact that they would have a break for three weeks before paying a visit to Baroka on Sunday, 6 January, would give them a chance to tighten up the team’s loose ends.

Asked whether he was intending to beef up the current squad when the registration window opened in January, he stated that it was still a bit early for him comment about that, saying he still had to assess some of the players who were part of the current squad. “You see, when we bring in players, we must release others, so that we remain with a manageable size of squad,” he said. He revealed that there was a possibility for him to fly to England for some days and come back before New Year’s Day, saying his mother was ill and that her condition was deteriorating with time.    

Date:20 December 2018

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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