 |
| 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
|
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