From The Archives: The day Lioli won the league

On May 30 2009 Lioli won its second league title, coming after 24 years and relegation at the turn of the century. It was a special moment, here is the story.

The day Lioli won the league

To some Lioli is much more than a football club, instead an extension of Chief Masupha Moshoeshoe’s life; his poems of valour expressed in the splendour of Lioli’s daring football, and his spirit sustained by the chosen few who have donned the maroon strip on match-days.

However – and sadly – Lioli in recent times had been infamous for their fans’ violent tendencies rather than any victories on the field of play.

Since Lioli’s first league championship triumph in 1985 twenty-four barren years followed. Save for an Imperial Top Eight crown won in 2007, the Teyateyaneng (TY) side had had nothing to show for their vociferous support since “Ace” Potlako Tšiu and Kethang Khohloue inspired “Tse Nala” to the pinnacle of Lesotho football in the mid-eighties.

That was why Lioli, needing to win in Hlotse on Saturday to capture the Holy Grail, initiated the largest mass trek of Basotho since Moshoeshoe marched his nation to Thaba-Bosiu.

Still on a luke-cold winter afternoon, Lioli never reached their scorching best. Indeed their hosts Joy, playing like men possessed, had taken the lead barely ten minutes into the game.

The game’s location – deep in Linare country, on Linare’s home ground – might have been unnatural too. The cause wasn’t helped when Linare legend Mohaeka “Wizard” Molapo went and sat pitch side.

But this was Lioli’s time, and Bushy Moletsane and Malebanye Ramoabi became legends in Lioli folklore with goals that gave “Tse Nala” a 2-1 win.

“I’m very happy, I’m happy for the team and for the people of TY,” Lioli coach Mosholi Mokhothu said after the game. “This is a big achievement.”

“I feel very proud, all I can say is that I am proud,” Lioli captain Thabo Masualle says, while top scorer Lehlohonolo Mpopo calls it “overwhelming”.

Lioli fans in full attire

Still, amid the furore it’s good to remember that just two months ago this fairytale seemed impossible.

It’s good to recognise that Lioli never planned to be champions; Lioli didn’t even have either of their title winning coaches (Mosholi Mokhothu and Halemakale Mahlaha) in charge at the beginning of the season.

The man at the helm was Lehlohonolo Thotanyana.

“Our aim was to finish in the top four, but we began to realise that no one could match our team,” coach Mokhothu says.

But a successful start to the season changed the game-plan. By the time Lioli beat their great north rivals Linare 3-0 in December they were top of the league, seven wins from nine games making them champions at the end of year break.

Still championships are never won in December and there were dissenting voices.

Despite their dazzling play, the claim was that Lioli had been in the same position on many other occasions only to fail when it really mattered. 

Those doubts seemed warranted when in April Lioli suffered a mid-season crisis.

Six points were dropped in two weeks. Draws against LMPS, Rovers and Linare relegated Lioli to third-place.

In the meantime LDF were making winning look too easy. By winning thirteen out of sixteen matches since the turn of the year, the army side had forged a seven point lead at the top of the Premier League by the end of April.

“The pressure was to get into the top four and not to win the league,” Masualle says. “We were feeling pressure because there was a possibility that we might have dropped out of the top four.”

The run coincided with technical director Mahlaha’s arrival.

Lehlohonolo Mpopo who scored 10 goals this term says: “There was some confusion, but at the end of April there was a fun walk we came together as the whole of Lioli. We were actually scared that the fans would be upset, but they said they were willing to meet us halfway.”

“At that time a lot of people were starting to speculate that LDF would be the champions,” Mpopo adds. “(But) to us it was a wake up call.”

The turning point in the race (even though it didn’t seem so at the time) then came when LDF played twice on the last weekend of April, beating Rovers 2-1 then drawing 0-0 Matlama on the Sunday.

The big one: Lioli v Matlama

The results were significant because they gave Lioli a mathematical chance of winning the league. If Lioli won all their remaining games they would be champions.

Impossible as it may have seemed that is exactly what Lioli did, including a 3-0 thumping of LDF. That run included Lioli playing seven games in the month of May.

In the end Lioli found form when it mattered most, winning their last eight games. And now in the year of the passing her Chieftainess ‘Masenate Masupha, Lioli have paid her memory the ultimate tribute. This is not just a celebration of a league win but of an amazing season, a historic one.

Lioli’s season:

Date	Match	H/A	Score
SEPTEMBER
28/09/08	vs Joy	H	3-0
NOVEMBER
02/11/08	vs LDF	H	1-1
05/11/08	vs Sekamaneng Young Stars	H	5-0
08/11/08	vs Naughty Boys	A	3-0
15/11/08	vs Matlama	H	1-1
23/11/08	vs Likhopo	H	2-1
DECEMBER
03/12/09	vs Lerotholi	A	2-0
06/12/08	vs Rovers	H	1-0
14/12/08	vs Majantja	A	3-0*
20/12/08	vs Linare	A	3-0
JANUARY
11/01/09	vs Mphatlalatsane	H	1-0
18/01/09	vs Swallows	A	2-1
24/01/09	vs LMPS	H	0-2
FEBRUARY
01/02/09	vs Butha-Buthe Roses	H	3-0
07/02/09	vs LCS	A	2-2
21/02/09	vs Swallows	H	2-0
MARCH
11/03/09	vs Matlama	A	1-2
21/03/09	vs Mphatlalatsane	A	2-0
28/03/09	vs LCS	H	3-1
APRIL
05/04/09	vs LMPS	A	0-0
10/04/09	vs Linare	H	1-1
12/04/09	vs Rovers	A	1-1
19/04/09	vs Majantja	H	1-0
MAY
02/05/09	vs Likhopo	A	2-0
03/05/09	vs Butha-Buthe Roses	A	2-1
09/05/09	vs Sekamaneng Young Stars	A	3-1
10/05/09	vs LDF	A	3-0
16/05/09	vs Lerotholi	H	2-0
23/05/09	vs Naughty Boys	H	3-0
30/05/09	vs Joy	A	2-1

* Lioli were awarded a 3-0 win for abandoned away game against Majantja on 14/12/08