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, April 4, 2016

Vodacom Premier League Talking Points: The Good and the Bad

There are only five more match-days to go in the Vodacom Premier League season. It’s squeaky bum time and this past weekend made things squeakier...

It was a good weekend for…

It was a good weekend for Bantu and Matlama...
Matlama
Matlama have been around the top of the Vodacom Premier League for the whole season but this column has always expected them to fade from contention mainly because Matlama have become the Sesotho dictionary word for inconsistency.

And, they did falter.

After leading the league by four points in mid-November, Matlama’s form dipped to end 2015. In a run of four matches, Tse Putsoa lost twice, including 2-0 to Mphatlalatsane, and dropped eight points from a possible 12.

By the start of last month Matlama were third, five points behind leaders Lioli.

Matlama’s season so far
02.04.2016
Mphatlalatsane
0-1
Matlama
W
13.03.2016
Matlama
3-0
Likila United
W
11.03.2016
Matlama
3-1
Linare
W
05.03.2016
Matlama
3-2
LDF
W
27.02.2016
Likhopo
1-1
Matlama
D
13.02.2016
LMPS
2-2
Matlama
D
06.02.2016
Rovers
1-3
Matlama
W
17.01.2016
Sandawana FC
0-1
Matlama
W
19.12.2015
Matlama
0-2
Mphatlalatsane
L
12.12.2015
Bantu United
0-1
Matlama
W
05.12.2015
Lioli
1-0
Matlama
L
28.11.2015
Matlama
0-0
LCS
D
22.11.2015
Liphakoe FC
1-2
Matlama
W
14.11.2015
Matlama
2-1
Likhopo
W
01.11.2015
Likila United
1-2
Matlama
W
02.10.2015
LDF
0-2
Matlama
W
26.09.2015
Matlama
3-2
LMPS
W
19.09.2015
Linare
3-1
Matlama
L
13.09.2015
Matlama
3-1
Sandawana FC
W
30.08.2015
Kick4Life
0-2
Matlama
W
23.08.2015
Matlama
0-0
Rovers
D

At that point the scepticism of Matlama appeared justified. Tse Putsoa had started a season well but couldn’t keep it up as has been the case, more or less, in every campaign since they last won the league in 2010.

But, the story was not over.

Thanks to Lioli’s blown two goal lead against Likhopo yesterday, Tse Putsoa are now joint top of the league with five matches to go.

They have won four matches in a row and the destiny of the title is in their own hands. It is quite a turn of events and confidence has to be flowing at Pitso Ground.

Much like LCS, Matlama are probably ahead of schedule. This is Moses Maliehe’s first season in charge and the club possibly would have settled for a steady build on the consecutive fourth places of the past two years after Matlama had finished as low as eighth in 2013.

However, Tse Putsoa have capitalised on the slips of the country’s two strongest squads, Lioli and Bantu, and they now find themselves in with a chance of claiming a record extending 10th league title.

The only negative for Matlama is they are not in action this weekend because of the LNIG Top 8, so they can’t immediately build on their momentum. But, Tse Putsoa can rest easy, the pressure is on Lioli.

Bantu
At least Bantu’s season has drama because it has been a let-down in every other sense.
November’s Independence Cup win aside, this has been a disappointing season in which A Matšo Matebele have fallen well below their potential. Stat: Bantu have not been in the league’s top four all season.

Nevertheless, thanks to their 2-0 win over LCS on Saturday, Bantu still have a chance of salvaging a good, maybe even great, season.

The Mafeteng giants are in the semi-finals of the LNIG Top 8 and after Saturday’s win, they have pulled themselves to within two points of fourth-placed Sandawana.

Top Four Race
Remaining matches
Bantu
Matlama v Bantu (Pitso Ground)
Bantu v Linare (Mafeteng)
Kick4Life v Bantu (Setsoto Stadium)
Sandawana v Bantu (Butha-Buthe)
LDF v Bantu (Ratjomose)

Sandawana
LDF v Sandawana (Ratjomose)
Sandawana v Likhopo (Butha-Buthe)
Mphatlalatsane v Sandawana (Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)
Sandawana v Bantu (Butha-Buthe)
LCS v Sandawana (LCS)

And, Bantu played well against LCS. They showed why they were pre-season favourites for the title and why they won the league in 2014. Litšepe Marabe was clinical, scoring the opening goal, and fellow Likuena internationals Thapelo Mokhehle, Hlompho Kalake, Tlali Maile and Sepiriti Malefane showed their quality, too.

This is a good team. Bantu should be making the top four and they still have to play Sandawana.

But, this has been a season of drama in Mafeteng, nothing is certain.

Rovers
Rovers beat Likila United 1-0 yesterday in Roma.

It was their first win since October 11 when they beat bottom side Mphatlalatsane 2-1. It ended a painful run of 13 matches that included 10 losses, a run that dropped Rovers from third in September to the relegation zone.

And guess who Rovers play next? Mphatlalatsane.

Linare’s remaining games
Rovers v Mphatlalatsane (Roma)
Rovers v LCS (Roma)
Rovers v Likhopo (Roma)
Lioli v Rovers (Setsoto Stadium)
Liphakoe v Rovers (Quthing)

This could turn out to be a season-saving few weeks for Rovers. After their win over Likila, they are up to 10th, two points clear of the drop. Their remaining schedule is tricky. But, what Rovers do have going for them is their home support in Roma, an advantage they have over the sides below them. Three of their final five games are at home.

By calculation, 24 points should be enough for survival this season. Rovers, on 20 points, will surely be counting on their fans.

It was a bad weekend for…
It was a bad weekend for Linare...
LCS
Mathematically LCS are still in the title race but realistically they are not. Saturday’s defeat to Bantu leaves Masheshena five points behind the leading duo of Lioli and Matlama, with five games to go.

Mpitsa Marai has done a fabulous job in his first season in charge. But, the last two games – losses to Lioli and Bantu – have shown LCS still need an injection of star quality in order to return to serious title contention.

League winners since 2000
2000    LCS              
2001    LDF
2002    LCS
2003    Matlama
2004    LDF
2005    Likhopo  
2006    Likhopo  
2007    LCS
2008    LCS
2009    Lioli
2010    Matlama
2011    LCS
2012    LCS
2013    Lioli
2014    Bantu
2015    Lioli

Linare
Thank goodness for their two-goal fight-back in Quthing against Liphakoe or this could have been a terrible weekend for the Leribe side. The 2-2 draw gave Tse Tala a point, but they need more than that at this stage.

Thanks to Rovers’ win, Linare are in the relegation zone. They haven’t won since December and they are running out of time to stave off a first relegation in club history.

Linare’s remaining games
LMPS v Linare (PTC)
Bantu v Linare (Mafeteng)
Likila United v Linare (Butha-Buthe)
Linare v Mphatlalatsane (Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)
Lioli v Linare (Setsoto Stadium)

Lioli
Lioli will be kicking themselves today because they had a two-goal lead against Likhopo yesterday and they let it slip.

That is how championships are lost, or at least, that is how you give your rivals hope.

Thanks to Nkoto Masoabi’s 15 minute brace, Lioli were on their way to a comfortable win and a two-point lead over Matlama. Of course, a two-point cushion wouldn’t have meant Tse Nala have won the league, but now they have given Matlama confidence and that is the most dangerous thing that may have come out of the weekend for Lioli.

Title race run-in
Lioli
Lioli v Liphakoe (Setsoto Stadium)
Kick4Life v Lioli (Setsoto Stadium)
Matlama v Lioli (Pitso Ground)
Lioli v Rovers (Setsoto Stadium)
Lioli v Linare (Setsoto Stadium)

Matlama
Matlama v Bantu (Pitso Ground)
Matlama v Liphakoe (Pitso Ground)
Matlama v Lioli (Pitso Ground)
Matlama v Kick4Life (Maseru)
LCS v Matlama (LCS)

As a squad, Matlama are inferior to Lioli. In fact, there is no competition. The last Lesotho squad had eight Lioli players, Matlama three, for example.

Lioli are the champions and they are still top. They still hold all the cards because they face Matlama in a probable title decider on April 30.

But, by letting Tse Putsoa hang around, Lioli have fed a monster that may come back to bite them.

This Weekend’s Results
Saturday
Bantu 2-0 LCS
Mphatlalatsane 0-1 Matlama
Sandawana 1-1 LMPS
Liphakoe 2-2 Linare

Sunday
Rovers 1-0 Likila United
Likhopo 2-2 Lioli
Kick4Life 0-0 LDF

Vodacom Premier League Table


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts.
1
Lioli
21
13
7
1
33
10
23
46
2
Matlama
21
14
4
3
35
19
16
46
3
LCS
21
12
5
4
22
10
12
41
4
Sandawana
21
10
4
7
21
20
1
34
5
Bantu
21
9
5
7
20
11
9
32
6
Likhopo
21
7
8
6
24
18
6
29
7
Kick4Life
21
6
10
5
16
17
-1
28
8
LDF
21
6
9
6
20
18
2
27
9
Liphakoe
21
4
10
7
16
21
-5
22
10
Rovers
21
5
5
11
14
25
-11
20
11
Likila United
21
5
5
11
15
27
-12
20
12
LMPS
21
3
10
8
18
26
-8
19
13
Linare
21
4
6
11
21
28
-7
18
14
Mphatlalatsane
21
2
6
13
16
41
-25
12

No comments:

Post a Comment