Black Leopards and Upington share spoils in draw
Upington City denied Black Leopards victory with a late equaliser, securing a 1-1 draw in the Motsepe Championship.
LIMPOPO – Upington City fought hard to hold Black Leopards to a 1-1 draw in their Motsepe Championship League match at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday.
The match began with Upington playing aerial balls to frustrate their opponents, but Leopards remained calm and continued to showcase their signature entertaining football. Despite numerous attempts, Leopards wasted three clear chances in the opening ten minutes. Mwape Musonda finally broke the deadlock with a stunning shot, giving Leopards the lead.
Leopards pushed hard for more goals but were met with resilient defending. As the match progressed, Leopards adjusted their strategy, packing their defence as they realised their attacking opportunities were dwindling. Upington came close to equalising in the 29th minute when Willie Nel’s attempt was expertly denied by Leopards goalkeeper, Chibwe Mwenya.
Donald Makgetlwa of Leopards was a constant threat, distributing dangerous passes and acting as a dynamic striker. Just before the halftime whistle, Upington City’s Vuyisile Ntombayitheti equalised in the 44th minute. Ntombayitheti capitalised on a corner kick from Trevor Mokoena, sending a powerful shot from outside the box that left the Leopards goalkeeper in disbelief as it crossed the goal line.
Despite making four substitutions, Leopards were unable to alter the flow of the game, with Upington consistently defending and keeping the match level.