Lesotho Premier League: Pivotal weekend in title race

The Final Stretch...
The Lesotho Premier enters the business end

It’s a pivotal weekend in the Vodacom Premier League title race with the top two facing potential banana-skins against two Leribe sides.

Today leaders Bantu host Joy at the newly-opened Leshoboro Seeiso Stadium in Mafeteng before Lioli welcome Linare to the Lioli Stadium tomorrow.

The two are separated by just two points with Bantu top with 29 points from 13 games.

                            

Both Bantu and Lioli have been blasted to the top by two left-foot hotshots – Litšepe Marabe and Tšepo Seturumane, the league’s top scorer with eleven and nine goals respectively.

This weekend will be the pair’s final opportunity to impress Lesotho coach Leslie Notši. Neither Marabe nor Seturumane has featured in Notši plans this season. They have a chance to show they can be a solution to Lesotho’s goal-scoring woes ahead of the 2014 World Cup against Zambia on March 24.

Marabe has been in sensational form since joining Bantu from Botswana’s Flamengo Santos towards the end of last season. The former Matlama and Makoanyane XI favourite has been capped at senior level but has fallen out of favour with Notši recently. Marabe has scored four braces this season – against Nyenye Rovers, Joy, Linare and LDF – in addition to goals against Lioli, LCS and LMPS.

Bantu will be counting on Marabe’s goal-scoring prowess this afternoon as A Matšo Matebele seek to avenge a 4-3 defeat to Joy when the two sides met in October.

Lioli’s Seturumane has also been supremely consistent this season and the uncapped youngster is currently on a four-match scoring streak. Seturumane’s Lioli have a tough task this weekend though, facing a Linare side that’s unbeaten in their last three games, winning two.

There are other important matches this weekend. Champions LCS will look to refocus their title defence when they travel to face rival LMPS at the PTC Ground today. Masheshena have had a stop start few months. Thanks to the extended mid-season break, as a result of the Africa Cup of Nations, and their involvement in the Caf Champions League, LCS have only played three games in the last three months.

On Sunday, third-placed LDF will expect to pick up maximum points when they host struggling Nyenye Rovers, while Qoaling Highlanders and Mpharane, ninth and tenth respectively, will play out a relegation six-pointer in Qoaling.

Fixtures

Saturday, 9 March

LMPS v LCS (PTC Ground, 16:00)

Bantu v Joy (Mafeteng, 16:00)

Sunday, 10 March

LDF v Nyenye Rovers (Ratjomose, 16:00)

Lioli v Linare (Lioli Stadium, 16:00)

Qoaling Highlanders v Mpharane Celtic (Qoaling, 16:00)