04/07/2012 6:01 AM - Black Leopards have reached the last 16 of the CAF Confederation Cup following their 6-4 aggregate win over St Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi, DR Congo on April 6.

‘Lidoda Duvha’ took a 4-2 advantage to the Stade Frederic KibassaMaliba, following the win in Giyani a fortnight ago in Giyani.

The Limpopo side held their nerve to eliminate Lupopo after the match ended 2-2 in DR Congo.
Leopards had to contend with the referee and the hostile crowd for the better part of the match, but with club boss David Thidiela watching from the stands they fought gallantly to secure their passage to the next round where they will meet Nigeria side Warri Wolves who beat FC Kallon of Sierra Leone 2-0 in the other match.

Match report by Tiyani Mabasa / kickoff.com, who was in DRC courtesy of Leopards official sponsor MTN

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Back to the match against Lupopo, the Congolese outfit was on the attack from the onset but the vociferous crowd was stunned into silence in the 16th minute when David Zulu drew first blood after good work from Humphrey Khoza, who surged forward and eventually the ball fell kindly to David Zulu who needed no second invitations as he calmly rounded off the Lupopo goalkeeper KakindaKaniki to slot home from a tight angle.

Leopards led 1-0 at the interval and the PSL outfit was certainly punching above its weight.
Head coach on the day Abel Makhubele, who was deputising for VladislavHeric who remained in South Africa because he couldn’t secure a yellow fever certificate because his body can’t take injections, rang in the changes when the teams returned for the second half.

Makhubele took off the goalscorer Zulu and the inefficient Davi Banda and put in Kingston Nkhatha and Edgar Manaka, but Lupopo continued to attack relentlessly.

Lupopo equalised in the 53rd minute when Moses Kwena was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. Carrington Gombaduly converted the spot kick.

The goal spurred Lupopo on and it was no surprise when they went ahead in the 64th minute, but under controversial circumstances.

Leopards skipper Mongezi Bobe attempted to clear the ball in the box, but miscued and Omony collected the ball thinking it was not a back pass, but the referee had other ideas and gave Lupopo an indirect free kick, which substitute MpianaMotiti converted from close range to take a 2-1 lead and with Lupopo needed just a goal to progress, it was game on.

It didn’t help matters that the referee on the day Romualdo Do Rosario Baltazar added an unbelievable eight minutes of injury time.

However, Leopards had the last laugh when substitute Kingston Nkhatha found space in the box, turned and fired home at the death and there was no way back for Lupopo.

Leopards XI: Posnett Omony; Moses Kwena, TintswaloTshabalala, Humphrey Khoza, Vincent Mabusela; Davi Banda [Edgar Manaka 46th], Mongezi Bobe, Tiyani Mabunda, LuyoloMapolisa; David Zulu [Kingston Nkhatha 46th], Joshua Obaje [Vincent Xakane 78th].