BLACK LEOPARDS

Club Name : Black Leopards Football Club

Nickname : Lidoda Duvha

Head Coach : Maxwell Konadu

Formed : 1983

Club Colours : Black and Orange

Home Stadium : Thohoyandou Stadium 
Club Website Address : www.blackleopardsfc.com

Club History

The club was founded in 1983 by business people in Venda in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. In 1998, the club was taken over by the Thidiela family.

1996/97  Winners of the 1^st division Northern Stream. Last in a 4 team playoff system to remain in the 1^st Division.

1997/98  8^th in the Inland Stream on the 1^st Division.

1998/99  9^th in the Inland Stream on the 1^st Division. Lost in 0 – 3 to Supersport United in 1^st round of Bobsave Superbowl.

1999/00  6^th in the Inland Stream on the 1^st Division.

2000/01  Winners of the Inland Stream on the 1^st Division and promoted to the PSL. Lost in 0 – 2 to Kaizer Chiefs in 1^st round of Bobsave Superbowl.

2001/02  8^th in the NSL Premier League. Lost 0 – 1 to Manning Rangers in the preliminary round of the Coca Cola Cup (League Cup).

2002/03  11^th in the NSL Premier League. Lost 2 – 3 to Santos in the 1^st round on the BP Top 8. Lost 1 – 1 (7-8 penalties) to Kaizer Chiefs in the final of the Telkom Charity Shield. Lost 0 – 0 (1-3 penalties) to Ajax CT in the quarterfinals of the Coca Cola Cup (League Cup). Lost 1 – 2 to Hellenic in the last eight of the ABSA Cup.

2003/04  8^th in the NSL Premier League. Lost 0 – 3 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals of the Telkom Charity Shield. Lost 0 – 2 in the 1^st round of the ABSA Cup. Lost 0 – 1 to Wits in the 1^st round of the Coca Cola Cup (League Cup).

2004/05  14^th in the NSL Premier League. Lost 0 – 2 to Kaizer Chiefs in the semifinals of the Telkom Charity Shield. Lost 1 – 2 AET to Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinals of the SAA Super 8. Lost 0 – 2 to Moroka Swallows in the quarterfinals of the Coca Cola Cup (League Cup). Lost 0 – 4 to Orlando Pirates in the 2^nd round of the ABSA Cup.

2005/06  12^th in the NSL Premier League. Lost 0 – 1 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals of the Telkom Charity Shield. Lost 2 – 2 (3-4 penalties) to Orlando Pirates in the 1^st round of the Coca Cola Cup (League Cup). Lost 0 – 1 to Kaizer Chiefs in the quarterfinals of the ABSA Cup.

2006/07   11^th in the Castle Premiership. Lost 1 - 3 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarterfinals of the Telkom Knockout.  Lost 1 – 3 to Benoni Premier United in the 1^st round of the ABSA Cup.

2007/08  15^th in the ABSA Premiership. Lost 1 – 2 on aggregate to Bay United in the Promotional Playoffs and relegated to the NFD. Lost 1 – 1 (4-5 penalties) to Bloemfontein Celtic in the 1^st round of the Telkom Knockout.  Lost 2 – 3 to Amazulu in the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup.

2008/09  6^th in the Inland Stream of the NFD. Lost 1 – 2 to Moroka Swallows in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup.

2009/10  Winners of the Inland Stream of the NFD. Lost 2 – 3 to Vasco da Gama in the Championship Playoff. Beat African Warriors 6 – 3 in the semifinals of the Promotional Playoffs, but lost 3 – 3 (3 - 5 penalties) to MP Black Aces in the final of the Promotional Playoffs to remain in the NFD.  

2010/11  Runner Up to Jomo Cosmos in the Inland Stream of the NFD. Beat Vasco da Gama 4 – 2 in the semifinals of the Promotional Playoffs. Beat Bay United 2 – 0 in the final of the Promotional Playoffs to gain promotion to the ABSA Premiership. Lost 1 – 3 to Orlando Pirates in the final of the Nedbank Cup. Played in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2012. Preliminary Round – Beat Motor Action (Zim) 3 – 1, Round 1 – Beat St Eloi Lupopo (DRC) 6 – 4, Round 2 – Beat Warri Wolves (Nig) 3 – 3 (won on away goals), Playoff Round with CAF Champs losers – Lost 2 – 3 to Al Merreikh (Sud).

2011/12  14^th in the ABSA Premiership. Lost 1 – 2 to Orlando Pirates in the 1^st round of the Telkom Knockout.  Lost 0 – 4 to Kaizer Chiefs in the 2^nd round of the Nedbank Cup.

2012/13  16^th in the ABSA Premiership and relegated to the NFD. Lost 0 – 2 to Orlando Pirates in the 1^st round of the Telkom Knockout.  Lost 0 – 2 to Platinum Stars in the 2^nd round of the Nedbank Cup.

2013/14  2^nd in the NFD. Lost 0 – 1 AET to Kaizer Chiefs in 1^st round of the Nedbank Cup. Finished second behind Polokwane City in the Promotional Playoffs and remain in the NFD.

2014/15  3^rd in the NFD. Beat FC Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup before losing 2 – 3 AET to Vasco Da Gama in the quarterfinals.

2015/16  8^th in the NFD. Beat African Warriors 1 – 1 (3-1 Pen) in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup, but lost 1 – 3 to Maritzburg United in round one.

2016/17  2^nd in the NFD. Finished 2^nd to Baroka FC in the Promotional Playoffs to stay in the NFD. Lost 3 – 4 to FC Cape Town in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2017/18  2^nd in the NFD.  Won the Promotional Playoffs and promoted to the PSL. Lost 0 – 3 to Super Eagles FC in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2018/19  13^th in the ABSA Premiership . Lost 1 – 1 (2 - 4 Pen) to Kaizer Chiefs in Round 1 of the Telkom KO. Beat Orlando Pirates 1 – 1 (5 – 4 Pen) in Round 1 of the Nedbank Cup before losing 1 – 1 (2 – 3 Pen) to Bidvest Wits in the Round of 16.

2019/20  15^th in the ABSA Premiership. Lost 0 – 0 (5 - 6 Pen) to Highlands Park in Round 1 of the Telkom KO. Beat NW University 4 – 0 in Round 1 of the Nedbank Cup, beat Amavarara 2 – 0 in the Round of 16, before losing 0 – 1 to Baroka in the Quarterfinals.

2020/21  16^th in the DSTV Premiership and relegated to the GladAfrica Championship. Beat Jomo Cosmos 2 –

1 in Round 1 of the Nedbank Cup, beat Amazulu 1 – 0 in the Round of 16, before losing 0 – 2 to TTM FC in the Quarterfinals.

2021/22  9^th in the GladAfrica Championship. Lost 1 – 2 to Free State Stars in the preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.

2022/23  16^th in the MFC and relegated to the ABC Motsepe League. Lost 0 – 1 Polokwane City in the Preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.  

2023/24  10^th in the MFC. Lost 1 – 2 Maritzburg United in the Preliminary round of the Nedbank Cup.