Motsepe Foundation Championship — Round 30 | 17 May 2026
Leicesterford City’s first season in the Motsepe Foundation Championship ended in a 4-2 defeat at Cape Town City in Dobsonville, with Fuad Johnson scoring twice from the penalty spot to give the Pretoria side something to take into the off-season after Jaedin Rhodes had inspired the hosts to a playoff berth.
Cape Town City run away with the contest
The hosts arrived in Dobsonville knowing a win would book a promotion playoff place, and they produced a performance to match. Jaedin Rhodes was the standout figure with a brace, and Gabriel Amato and Dženan Zajmović added the other two as Cape Town City played with the freedom of a side closing in on the prize. Leicesterford were second-best for stretches of the match, with the gap in Championship experience between the two squads showing in the composure of the home side’s build-up play.
Johnson keeps Leicesterford in it from the spot
The two goals Leicesterford did manage both came from the penalty spot, with Fuad Johnson stepping up twice to give the visitors a foothold in the match. The brace was a small reward for a player who has carried much of the attacking responsibility through the club’s first professional season, and it kept the contest within touching distance long enough to threaten an unlikely comeback. The wider performance, however, was a reminder of where the gap to the top of the table still sits — a brace from the spot is encouragement, not a blueprint.
Survival the headline; arbitration looms
Leicesterford City finish the Motsepe Foundation Championship season clear of the relegation zone — the first goal of any debut campaign at this level achieved — and head into the off-season planning a second-year push. The complication is Black Leopards’ pending arbitration case, in which Lidoda Duvha have argued that fixtures including one against Leicesterford should be replayed. If the panel rules against the Pretoria side, the safety achieved on the pitch could be re-litigated in a hearing room. The club’s legal advisers are following the matter closely; the football side of the equation will simply have to wait for the verdict.
