Newly appointed Black Leopards assistant coach Peter Mponda has explained his sudden return to the PSL. Mponda was announced by Leopards during a media briefing in Polokwane on Friday. He spent seven seasons at the club and left in 2010 to play for Santos in Cape Town.
After retiring, the 41-year-old returned to his native country in Malawi to pursue coaching. He has worked as an assistant coach at Nyasa Big Bullets as well as head coach of the Malawi Under 20 national team.
Leopards are yet to confirm who will be the head coach after parting ways with Owen Da Gama and long-serving assistant coach Morgan Shivambu. Shivambu has since crossed the floor to neighbours Venda Football Academy.
WHY PETER MPONDA HAS RETURNED TO THE PSL
Mponda has since explained his decision to take the offer at the Motsepe Foundation Championship side.
“I thought it was time that I pay back what they did to me,” Mponda told journalists.
“I know the situation where the club is in and where the Chairman and the president want to be and I worked for this club for a number of years. So, I know the culture.
“It was very easy [to come back] because I had a very good relationship with the president. So the moment the call came in, I didn’t think twice,” he explained.
FANS LOSING FAITH IN BLACK LEOPARDS?
Mponda intends to bring back the faith that he says has been lost due to poor results.
“My immediate responsibility is to win back the supporters because the time I was working here it was one of the most supported teams in the country. But now I don’t think it is still the same. So first we need to have that trust with the supporters.”
Leopards are expected to return for pre-season on Monday with a newly assembled squad. They have let go of most of the players following their relegation last season.
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