Following the green light to utilise their new players, Black Leopards are set to officially unleash some familiar faces on Saturday in the second-tier league.
Leopards will play their fifth game of the 2025/26 Motsepe Foundation Championship season when they take on Highbury FC at Thohoyandou Stadium this afternoon [15:30].
Their start to the 2025/26 season campaign has been marred with controversy after playing two of their first three games under protest.
They played their first match of the season against Casric Stars with 10 players, nine on-field after being barred from using their new signings. This limitation was due to a FIFA transfer ban—inherited through the acquisition of All Stars FC’s PSL status—which prevented them from registering any new players.
Their matches against the University of Pretoria and Lerumo Lions were played under protest after the club failed to have the required number of underage players. Both cases have since sat before the Premier Soccer League [PSL] DC hearings.
MOTSEPE FOUNDATION CHAMPIONSHIP SIDE SET TO FIELD A FULL SQUAD AGAINST HIGHBURY
As FARPost had earlier reported, the club played their match against Leicesterford City FC with a full squad and the required number of underage players, which is permitted by the league.
Despite reports surfacing that a transfer ban had been lifted against the club, this publication is still establishing facts on whether there was a ban in the first place.
But this publication has established the fact that the club has now been cleared to use their new signings when they face Highbury.
Some of the players that appeared on the original Leopards team sheet in their first match but were barred from playing include former Sekhukhune United keeper Lloyd Kazapua, Zukile Mkhize, formerly of Royal AM, Tshenzhelani Radzadzhi from Baroka FC and former Summerfield goalkeeper Samkelo Sithole.
The club currently sit bottom of the log after collecting two points from their four matches so far.
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