Black Leopards goalkeeper describes survival from relegation as miracle

Black Leopards FC goalkeeper Modoue Jobe has described Lidoda Duvha’s flirtation with relegation in the just-ended GladAfrica Championship and the eventual survival as the stuff for sheer miracles.

Speaking exclusively to FARPost, the Gambian international said most people had written Leopards off. At the same time, the team sat at the bottom of the log table, seemingly heading for the inevitable drop.

“We were nearly relegated. Everybody thought we would be relegated, but after talking among ourselves, we had to sit and tell ourselves what the problem was, and from there, we played nine games unbeaten. People were surprised that we made it. It was magic, but it was all about hard work. We were lying bottom on position 16, and the team that was following us behind and the other teams were leading by 15 points…that’s a miracle that we survived,” he said.

The 32-year-old said a combination of management intervention and support plus the coming of coach Joel Masutha injected a new sense of belief that survival was not beyond realms of possibility.

“After Christmas and AFCON, we started pushing and changed coach. Coach Joel came in, and he did well to turn things around. We were working hard together as a team, especially the technical staff and the players, and that brought us to winning ways,” he said.

“It was a great season for us at Leopards. We were slightly disappointed because we were looking for promotion [to the top flight league]. That was our intention; unfortunately, results did not come our way. We struggled in the first round as we could not win many games, which put us in trouble to be at the bottom of the table,” Jobe said.

The keeper said he was looking forward to a flying start next season after having now completed his adaptation to the relatively cold weather of South Africa.

“It was not a bad season for me. I struggled with the weather coming from a place that is very hot in the Gambia to South Africa in winter. I struggled for two months but kept pushing and believing in myself. I have been given a chance to play, and I have tried my best. I thank the chairman; he is like a father to me; Chief Thidiela and the technical team have also been helpful to me,” Jobe said.

The experienced custodian signed for Leopards at the start of the season following the expiry of his four-month contract with Senegalese premier league side ASEC Ndiambour.

Jobe is the number one keeper for the coach Tom Saintfiet-led Gambia that qualified for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

He moved to Senegal after leaving the Saudi Arabian side Jeddeh FC following the expiration of his contract last year.

Jobe was previously on the radar of South African teams such as AmaZulu FC, SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic, but he said it was not the right time to move.

In the Gambia, Jobe played for Real de Banjul and Niarry Tally.