LIMPOPO- David Thidiela announced on Friday that he had acquired the Glad Africa Championship League franchise from Cape Town All Stars.
After the team were relegated in May, rumours were abound that Leopards bought the Stars status, which Thidiela denied. Last season, Leopards finished at the bottom of the log and were relegated the Safa’s ABC Motsepe League.
Speculation was rife that the two teams had been in negotiations to exchange directorship since May after the league finished.
During a media conference held at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World last Friday, Thidiela as the new chairperson of the team confirmed that Leopards will play in the same league after buying the Stars status. Not only did the league ratify the sale agreements for the clubs, but the name changed as well. The PSL confirmed that Stars will change their name to Black Leopards.
Thidiela reiterated the fact, however, that they were not in the league to add to the numbers. According to him, they are going to assemble a squad that was ready to absorb the heat. He explained that the decision to buy a status was not an easy one, especially considering the high cost of running a club in South Africa.
“Limpopo relies on Leopards, as people are able to generate an income because of the club. We will start with the league preparations and have a pre-season ahead of the new season,” he announced.
He said the team’s new technical team will be announced in due course.