Musonda magic helps Leopards past TTM

Black Leopards took another stride towards Absa Premiership safety on Saturday, with a 3-1 win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at the Bidvest Stadium.

The victory made it two out of two for Lidoda Duvha in the promotion/relegation play offs, after their 1-0 win over Ajax Cape Town in midweek.

With all three teams in the play-offs having now played twice, Leopards have six points, Ajax have three, and TTM are on zero, their chances of promotion now surely extremely slim.

Zambian Mwape Musonda made a huge impact for Leopards again on Saturday, netting twice to take his tally for the season in all competitions to 13.

Leopards went in front in the 19^th minute, as Tiklas Thutlwa, who had missed a great chance himself earlier, swung in a cross that Musonda was on hand to head in at the back post.

TTM fought back and found an equaliser three minutes before the break, as Thembisani Nevhulamba arrived in the box to steer home Modibedi Mokoena’s low cross. The 35 year-old former Leopards man refused to celebrate, but it was a cool finish past King Ndlovu, for the firsr goal Leopards had conceded in the play-offs.

Lucky Nelukau’s TTM side, however, couldn’t stay level until the break, losing concentration from another Thutlwa corner, with Leopards central defender Isaac Masia thundering a header into the back of the net.

TTM came close to another equaliser in the 66^th minute, as a shot from Nkululeko Hlongo was deflected over his own bar by Robert Ngambi.

In the 90^th minute, meanwhile, TTM were only denied by the crossbar, Ndlovu came for a corner but couldn’t get a decisive punch and an overhead kick from Tebogo Thangwane came back off the woodwork.

And Leopards wrapped up the win in stoppage time as a cross from Themba Ndlovu was headed in by Musonda, though there was also a big deflection off Thungwane.

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