Former Orlando Pirates striker Musonda to snub PSL clubs in favour of Black Leopards stay

Former Orlando Pirates striker Mwape Musonda is ready to snub Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs and stay at Black Leopards.

The Zambian forward played an instrumental role in helping Lidoda Duvha clinch promotion to PSL - netting four goals in the recent PSL promotion/relegation playoffs.

Musonda is said to have attracted interest from suitors with deeper pockets than Leopards. Polokwane City and Baroka FC have been linked with the prolific marksman in recent times.

However, Musonda plans to stick with Lidoda Duvha, who are back in the top flight league for the first time since 2013. 

“This is my home. In the two seasons I have spent here, this has become home. I’ll see. I’ll see how things will go but I would like to stay and help the team stay up in the PSL,” Musonda told IOL.

“We have to fight to stay there. We can’t fight for five seasons and then when you finally go up, you go back down after just one season. We’ll make sure that we stay up,” he continued.

The 27-year-old frontman, who possesses power, speed, vision, an eye for goal and a high work rate, scored 15 goals during the 2017/18 National First Division (NFD) and he shared the league’s Golden Boot award with Highlands Park winger Peter Shalulile. 

“I had to push myself to the limits. Hard work always pays. You can’t relax and then hope for great things to fall on your lap. Hard work and patience are important. There are times when you work hard and things don’t work out for you,"  Musonda added.

"Patience was key, to ensure that I find my feet and I help the team gain promotion. We’ve been pushing. We’ve been to the play-offs four times in five seasons. It was long overdue. We are just happy that we have finally done it,” he added.

“It feels great as a striker to score goals. Most of the goals that I scored helped the team throughout the season to get to the play-offs. In the play-offs I scored goals that made sure that we’re promoted. It was good to get the NFD top goalscorer award,” he explained.

Musonda, who was released by Pirates in 2016 following a loan spell with Lamontville Golden Arrows, is eager to take this scoring form to the PSL. 

"I would like to take this form to the PSL. We’ll see how it goes. In as much as there is a gap between the NFD and the PSL in terms of the standard of football, but it’s football at the end of the day,” he said.

"I think that I am ready. I have been there before and I am happy to be going there back again with Leopards, a team I have made my home. I think that it would be easier for me to score as many goals as I can in the PSL because I am home,” Musonda concluded.