Title Party? Lioli out to clinch Vodacom Premier League

What’s at stake?

·         Champions Lioli need four points from their final two games to clinch title

·         Promoted Rovers looking to avoid relegation

Title party? Lioli fans are ready...

Lioli will win a third Vodacom Premier League title in four years if they beat Rovers on Saturday and Matlama lose to LCS. The equation is clear for the champions and they head into the encounter against Rovers at Setsoto Stadium as clear favourites. (Saturday, May 7 | kick-off: 15:00)

Lioli suffered an agonising CAF Champions League exit at the hands of Burundi’s Vital’O on away goals in February.

Tse Nala suffered a dip after the disappointment going on a subsequent run of three draws from four games which allowed Matlama back into the title race.

However, the champions have bounced back strongly since that wobble. Last month Lioli convincingly won the LNIG Top 8. In the league Lioli have won four of their last five matches including last weekend’s momentous 1-0 win over rivals Matlama.

Now Lioli are on the verge of completing the league and cup double, if results go their way this weekend.

Their opponents Rovers have plenty to play for as well. The National University of Lesotho side are just one point above Likila United in the relegation zone. The Dynamites would love nothing more than to spoil Lioli’s party while boosting their own cause.

The last time the sides met was on November 28 in Roma and Lioli ran out 2-0 winners.

Lioli v Rovers – Match-Stats

·         The destination of the title has not been decided so late in the season since 2010/11 when LCS pipped LDF on the final day of the campaign

·         Lioli are unbeaten in the league since November1, 2015 when they lost 3-1 to Bantu. It is a run of 17 matches

·         Lioli have only lost twice in their last 54 Vodacom Premier League matches. Since losing to Linare on April 13, 2014, Lioli have only lost to Matlama (October 19, 2014) and Bantu (November 1, 2015)

·         Lioli have the league’s best defence having conceded just 10 goals in 24 matches

·         Rovers have only won one of their last 17 league matches, a 1-0 win over Likila United early last month

·         Lioli haven’t lost to a team in the bottom half of the league since 2013 ( a 1-0 loss away to Nyenye Rovers on December 1, 2013)

·         Lioli will be looking to keep their 18th clean-sheet of the season when they face Rovers

·         Rovers haven’t scored more than one goal in a league game since a 2-1 win over Mphatlalatsane in October

Vodacom Premier League fixtures:

Saturday

LCS v Matlama (15:00, LCS)

LMPS v Likila United (15:00, PTC)

Lioli v Rovers (15:00, Setsoto Stadium)

Sunday

Linare v Mphatlalatsane (15:00, Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)

Likhopo v Kick4Life (15:00, LCS)

Sandawana v Bantu (15:00, Butha-Buthe)

Liphakoe v LDF (15:00, Quthing)

#VPL Table

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
1	Lioli	24	16	7	1	38	10	28	55
2	Matlama	24	16	4	4	40	21	19	52
3	LCS	24	12	7	5	23	12	11	43
4	Sandawana	24	11	5	8	24	23	1	38
5	Likhopo	24	9	9	6	27	19	8	36
6	Kick4Life	24	8	10	6	21	21	0	34
7	Bantu	24	9	6	9	24	18	6	33
8	LDF	24	7	10	7	22	20	2	31
9	LMPS	24	5	11	8	22	27	-5	26
10	Liphakoe	24	5	10	9	19	28	-9	25
11	Linare	24	5	8	11	25	30	-5	23
12	Rovers	24	5	6	13	14	28	-14	21
13	Likila United	24	5	5	14	16	32	-16	20
14	Mphatlalatsane	24	3	6	15	19	45	-26	15