Is Mwape Musonda back at Black Leopards?

The former Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows striker, Mwape Musonda, is likely to be parading in Black Leopards’ colours when the Motsepe Foundation Championship League programme for the new season starts towards the end of next month.

The Zambian national was spotted at the team’s training ground in Polokwane on Monday. Should he finally append his signature on the dotted line, this will be the second time for the 33-year-old sharpshooter to play for Lidoda Duvha. He joined the Thohoyandou side in July 2016 and played for the team for four solid soccer seasons. At that time, Black Leopards were campaigning in the GladAfrica Championship Division, known today as the Motsepe Foundation Championship League.

Musonda became the league’s top goal scorer in the 2016/17 soccer season. He again received the league’s golden boot award the following soccer season. He stayed with the Thohoyandou side for two soccer seasons after the club gained promotion to the DStv Premiership Division at the end of the 2017/18 soccer season.

Born in Mufulira Township in Zambia on 8 November 1990, Musonda scored 50 goals in 107 matches during his stay with the Thohoyandou side. He parted ways with the club in October 2020 and then left for Hatta FC in Saudi Arabia in search of greener pastures.

When his employment contract with the Arabian side expired at the end of June 2021, Musonda did not go back to his native land, Zambia. Instead, he decided to fly back to South Africa. Upon his arrival, Moroka Swallows FC offered him a lucrative employment contract that he could not decline. He played for the “Birds” for two soccer seasons until his contract expired at the end of June last year.

When asked if they were intending to offer Musonda an employment contract, the chairman of Black Leopards, Mr. Tshifhiwa Thidiela, said that they were still waiting for a report from the technical staff of the team. He reiterated that only players who had impressed the technical team at training would be offered employment contracts. According to Thidiela, Musonda is not the only player who is trying his luck with Black Leopards.

Date:26 July 2024

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.

Read: 1540