The former Kaizer Chiefs player wants Lidoda Duvha to transform themselves from fighting against demotion into being a more competitive outfit
Black Leopards midfielder Ovidy Karuru has challenged himself to “score more goals” this season because they are fed up with fighting against relegation in every Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.
Since the 2007/08 term, the Limpopo side has been struggling to maintain their top-flight league status.
They have been relegated twice and always narrowly escape relegation, like last season, when they survived the promotion/relegation play-offs.
Karuru, who joined Leopards as a free agent in November, wants that to change as the team is currently placed 15th on the PSL standings with three points more than basement side Maritzburg United.
“For me it’s not about me, it’s about the group. I just want the team to do well and for me if I can score more goals I think I have to do that so that I can help the team achieve their goals,” said Karuru as per Far Post.
“What we have said as a group is that we are tired of fighting relegation or play-offs, we just want to finish at a respectable position, hopefully in the top-eight.”
Leopards’ best-ever finish in the PSL was eighth place in the 2001/02 and 2003/04 seasons.
Karuru is not pleased with where they currently stand on the table, saying they have unnecessarily dropped points in matches they could have easily won.
The former Kaizer Chiefs player has made three appearances in Leopards colours so far and rues not collecting maximum points in the matches he has played.
His has featured in every minute of Lidoda Duvha’s 2-2 draw against Kaizer Chiefs, the 1-1 draw against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and the 2-1 defeat by Swallows FC.
“Yeah it’s not pleasing because at the end of the day we lost seven points,” Karuru said.
“We could have won against Chiefs, we could have managed the game against TTM and against Swallows we could have killed them in the opening 20 minutes because we were all over them.
“But it’s part of football, you win some and you lose some and we just have to raise our heads and keep on going and pushing each other.”
The Zimbabwe international arrived at Leopards and immediately made an impact by grabbing a brace on his debut against his former club Chiefs.