Quote of the week

“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are.” – Muhammad Ali

Monday, March 31, 2014

Bantu almost there

Can you feel it?
Bantu almost there...
Bantu can almost taste it, the Vodacom Premier League title is within their grasp.

A Matšo Matebele took another giant step towards their Holy Grail with a champion-like 1-0 win over Matlama yesterday at Setsoto Stadium.

If Bantu do reach the Promised Land it will have been several years in coming. A Matšo Matebele have finished in the league’s top four in each of the past five seasons. Through that time they have been Lesotho’s highest spenders with the declared aim of winning the championship.

It has been a struggle, however.

Last season Bantu suffered heartbreak; pipped at the finish line by Lioli after leading the race for much of the way.

In 2011/12 it was a similar story; a strong start only reaped a third place finish.

This has been the way since Mafeteng businessman Leuta Leuta took over as president at the beginning of the 2009/10 campaign and immediately set about to turn Bantu into a force. In his first season at the helm, Bantu, who had just gained promotion, splashed the cash to bring in Tefo Maipato, Daniel Jousse and Tlali Maile.

They finished fourth, a commendable achievement, but not enough for Leuta.

Since then Bantu have signed established international such as Litšepe Marabe, Mosiuoa Boseka, Mohapi Ntobo, Thapelo Mokhehle and Dlhomo Monapathi, amongst others, in a bid to claim the title and this season broke the national transfer record to lure Likuena defender Thabo Masualle from rivals Lioli.

Bantu have accordingly become a force to be reckoned with.

A Matšo Matebele have won the Independence Cup for three years in row, the first club to achieve the feat, and they reached the final of the LNIG Top 8 earlier this year.

However, it is the league that Mafeteng has desperately craved and with just a quarter of the season to go Bantu are ten points clear.

Though they have played two more games than Lioli and Linare, there is no guarantee the chasing duo will win their games in hand. In any case, Lioli and Linare meet in two weeks time, essentially cancelling each other out.
Primed... The pride of Mafeteng
Bantu’s remaining fixtures
5 April: Bantu v Melele (15:00, Mafeteng)
13 April: Mphatlalatsane v Bantu (15:00, St Monica’s)
20 April: Bantu v Linare (15:00, Mafeteng)
27 April: Joy v Bantu (15:00, Pitso Ground Leribe)
3 May: Bantu v Likhopo (15:00, Mafeteng)
12 May: Qoaling Highlanders v Bantu (15:00, Qoaling)

Bantu’s remaining fixtures, in totality, don’t look particularly daunting. There is a potentially decisive fixture against Linare on April 20, but it is at home where Bantu haven’t lost since May 4, 2013 and where they are unbeaten against Linare in the last two seasons.

Bantu’s biggest enemy now may just be complacency. They are almost there.

Weekend Results
Saturday: Melele 0-1 Lioli, LCS 2-1 Nyenye Rovers
Sunday: Matlama 0-1 Bantu, Joy 1-1 Likhopo, LMPS 1-2 LDF, Linare 1-0 Qoaling Highlanders, Mphatlalatsane 2-3 Mpharane Celtic

Latest Vodacom Premier League table


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Bantu
20
14
6
0
35
7
+28
48
2
Lioli
18
12
2
4
31
12
+19
38
3
Linare
18
10
6
2
25
12
+13
36
4
LDF
18
8
8
2
20
11
+9
32
5
Matlama
17
8
5
4
19
13
+6
29
6
Likhopo
18
7
6
5
23
18
+5
27
7
Qoaling Highlanders
18
6
7
5
16
15
+1
25
8
LCS
17
5
7
5
14
11
+3
22
9
Nyenye Rovers
18
5
6
8
16
24
-8
21
10
Mphatlalatsane
18
4
7
7
21
23
-2
19
11
Mpharane Celtics
20
5
4
11
25
42
-17
19
11
LMPS
20
4
4
12
17
29
-12
16
13
Joy
19
1
6
12
13
39
-26
9
14
Melele
18
1
4
13
14
33
-19
7


Sunday, March 30, 2014

Lesotho Premier League: Results

Weekend Results
Saturday: Melele 0-1 Lioli, LCS 2-1 Nyenye Rovers
Sunday: Matlama 0-1 Bantu, Joy 1-1 Likhopo, LMPS 1-2 LDF, Linare 1-0 Qoaling Highlanders, Mphatlalatsane 2-3 Mpharane Celtic

Vodacom Premier League Standings


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Bantu
20
14
6
0
35
7
+28
48
2
Lioli
18
12
2
4
31
12
+19
38
3
Linare
18
10
6
2
25
12
+13
36
4
LDF
18
8
8
2
20
11
+9
32
5
Matlama
17
8
5
4
19
13
+6
29
6
Likhopo
18
7
6
5
23
18
+5
27
7
Qoaling Highlanders
18
6
7
5
16
15
+1
25
8
LCS
17
5
7
5
14
11
+3
22
9
Nyenye Rovers
18
5
6
8
16
24
-8
21
10
Mphatlalatsane
18
4
7
7
21
23
-2
19
11
Mpharane Celtics
20
5
4
11
25
42
-17
19
11
LMPS
20
4
4
12
17
29
-12
16
13
Joy
19
1
6
12
13
39
-26
9
14
Melele
18
1
4
13
14
33
-19
7