 |
| Surging forward... Can Matlama maintain their push at the top? |
It’s throwback to times past, Matlama
versus LCS with something on the line.
Between them the clubs have 15 league titles
– Matlama have nine and LCS have six (two as LPS) – but for the last three
seasons they have been non-factors in the title race.
When they meet at the LCS Stadium this
afternoon it will be their welcome back party.
Tse
Putsoa
and Masheshena are in the title hunt
and both will be looking to make a statement about their title credentials.
Matlama are top of the Vodacom Premier
League and have a four-point cushion. However, their season really starts now. Tse Putsoa face LCS tomorrow and then
face Lioli and Bantu in the following two weeks. Positive results in those games
will set them up nicely heading into the festive mid-term break.
For LCS the game is of significance
also. Under rookie coach Mpitsa Marai, Masheshena have steadily improved over
the past few weeks. They have won three of their last five matches and sit in
sixth place, five points off the top and within striking distance of the lead.
A win over Matlama would cut the deficit to two points to the top of the log.
Matlama hold the upper hand in recent
meetings between the two sides winning two of the last four matches. Even so,
games between the sides have historically been tight affairs.
Matlama
v LCS, past four meetings
29/09/2013 LCS 0-1 Matlama
12/04/2014 Matlama 0-1 LCS
10/12/2014 LCS 0-0 Matlama
29/03/2015 Matlama 3-0 LCS
Form
Table – Last five games
|
|
|
G
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Matlama
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
5
|
15
|
|
2
|
Sandawana
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
9
|
2
|
15
|
|
3
|
LCS
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
3
|
10
|
|
4
|
Bantu
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
2
|
10
|
|
5
|
Likhopo
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
6
|
9
|
The weekend’s other big game is Bantu
against Sandawana at the Leshoboro Seeiso stadium in Mafeteng today. Few would
have expected so much to be riding on this game before the season, but
Sandawana have been brilliant since Bob Mafoso took charge late in September.
No team has won more than Sandawana over
the past two months and the Butha-Buthe side has jumped to a surprise
third-place position. Bantu, on the other hand have designs on the title again,
after a disastrous start to the season. A
Matšo Matebele have won three in a row and are five points off the top
after lying tenth a month ago.
 |
| Montoeli Sonopo (right) and his Lioli teammates faces a tough test in Roma against Rovers |
Rovers versus Lioli is another important
game today. The game has a must-win vibe to it for Lioli. The champions haven’t
won a league game this month and have fallen four points behind Matlama after
leading the league a few weeks ago. Simply put, Tse Nala can’t afford to lose any
more ground.
It won’t be easy, though. They go to the
rowdy venue that is the National University of Lesotho that will be doubly
pumped to welcome the visit of the champions. The game will also be a bit of
desperation game for Rovers. After starting the season well, The Dynamites have
lost their last three games.
On Sunday, former Lesotho coach Leslie Notši takes charge of
his first game as Kick4Life coach. His first opponents are Likhopo who are
third but have lost their last two games.
Also on Sunday, two struggling Leribe
sides meet when bottom side Mphatlalatsane host 11th-placed Linare at the
Maputsoe DiFA Stadium.
Week
11 Fixtures
Saturday
LDF v Liphakoe (15:00, Ratjomose)
Matlama v LCS (15:00, LCS)
Bantu v Sandawana (15:00, Mafeteng)
Rovers v Lioli (15:00, Roma)
Sunday
Mphatlalatsane v Linare (15:00, Maputsoe
DiFA Stadium)
Likila United v LMPS (15:00,
Butha-Buthe)
Kick4Life v Likhopo (15:00, Old Europa)
Vodacom
Premier League table
|
|
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
Matlama
|
9
|
7
|
1
|
1
|
17
|
9
|
8
|
22
|
|
2
|
Lioli
|
9
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
12
|
5
|
7
|
18
|
|
3
|
Sandawana
|
11
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
13
|
12
|
1
|
18
|
|
4
|
Likhopo
|
9
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
16
|
7
|
9
|
17
|
|
5
|
Bantu
|
9
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
17
|
|
6
|
LCS
|
9
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
17
|
|
7
|
Rovers
|
10
|
4
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
9
|
-1
|
14
|
|
8
|
Kick4Life
|
11
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
7
|
11
|
-4
|
12
|
|
9
|
LDF
|
10
|
2
|
5
|
3
|
6
|
8
|
-2
|
11
|
|
10
|
Likila United
|
11
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
10
|
14
|
-4
|
11
|
|
11
|
Linare
|
11
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
12
|
16
|
-4
|
10
|
|
12
|
Liphakoe
|
10
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
9
|
-4
|
8
|
|
13
|
LMPS
|
11
|
1
|
5
|
5
|
9
|
13
|
-4
|
8
|
|
14
|
Mphatlalatsane
|
10
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
6
|
15
|
-9
|
6
|