The announcement was made through a statement released on Wednesday, which reads as follows:

"The Fernando Matola Benefit Match, which was part of our 2007/08 Southern African Tour, has been cancelled due to the passing-on of one of the Thidiela Brothers.

Elias Ntshengedzeni Thidiela - the last born and younger brother to Black Leopards Chairman David Thidiela and Ceo Aaron Thidiela passed-on early on Tuesday morning at Tshilidzini Hospital in Shayandima, Venda after a long illness. He will be laid to rest at the Vhufuli Cemetery on Saturday morning with the service commencing from 06H00.

Black Leopards were scheduled to leave for Mozambique on Thursday for the final series of their Southern African Tour that started at the beginning of January in Malawi. Leopards were going to face Ferraviaro on Friday and Desportivo from Angola on Saturday; both matches would have been played in Maputo.

The last match was going to be played in honour of the late Leopards captain Fernando Paulo Matola, who died together with his entire family in a horrible car accident on his way to Mozambique last September. It was going to be played on Sunday 3 February 2008 against Costa Do Sol, that team that Fernando played for before joining Leopards in 2002.

Proceeds from the match were going to be forwarded to the Matola family. A new date will be set for the match to take place."

David Thidiela
Chairman
Black Leopards FC

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