Kamela leads Vodacom Premier League awards nominees

Lioli’s Jeremea Kamela leads the nominees for the Vodacom Premier League’s end of season awards announced today.  The versatile midfielder has been nominated in the player of the season and player’s player of the season categories after a sterling 2015/16 season for Lioli.

Kamela helped Tse Nala retain their league title and also inspired the champions to the LNIG Top 8 title in March.

Jerry Kamela (right) after Lioli's LNIG Top 8 success

Kamela is joined in the headline award for player of the season by the Matlama pair of Motebang Sera and Jane Thaba-Ntšo. The duo is being recognised after fine seasons for Tse Putsoa who finished second behind Lioli in the championship race.

Sera won the league’s golden boot award with 14 goals while Thaba-Ntšo finished just behind him with 13 goals. The winner of the player of the season award will walk away with a cool M5000.

Kamela also stands to win the M2500 loot for the players’ player of the season award. He is again joined in this category by Matlama striker Sera who is guaranteed M3000 for his top scorer title. The third nominee for the players’ player of the season is this year’s break-out star, Sundawana striker Roboama Koloti. The 17 year-old rookie scored 13 league goals and propelled the Butha-Buthe side to a shock top four finish in the Vodacom Premier League.

Koloti is also up for the young player of the season alongside Linare’s Khubetsoana Kamela and Kick4Life’s Lesia Thetsane.

Elsewhere, Mpitsa Marai (of LCS), Mosholi Mokhothu (of Lioli) and Matlama’s Moses Maliehe will contest the coach of the season award while the goalkeeper honour will go to Sele Thetsane (of Kick4Life), Kananelo Makhooane (of Lioli) or LCS’s Daniel Jousse.

The Golden Boot - Matlama's Motebang Sera (right)

The date and venue for the ceremony are still to be confirmed.

Here are the nominees in the different categories with the prize money:

Player of the season - M5000.00

Motebang Sera (Matlama)

Jane Thaba-Ntšo (Matlama)

Jerry Kamela (Lioli)

Young Player of the season - M2000.00

Khubetsoana Kamela (Linare)

Lesia Thetsane (Kick4Life)

Roboama Koloti (Sundawana)

Coach of the season - M2000.00

Mpitsa Marai (LCS)

Mosholi Mokhothu (Lioli)

Moses Maliehe (Matlama)

Players’ Player of the season – M2500.00

Roboama Koloti (Sundawana)

Motebang Sera (Matlama)

Jerry Kamela (Lioli)

Goalkeeper of the season – M2500.00

Sele Thetsane (Kick4Life)

Kananelo Makhooane (Lioli)

Daniel Jousse (LCS)

Top goal scorer (Golden Boot) – M3000.00

Motebang Sera (Matlama) – 14 goals

Referee of the season – M2000.00

Lebalang Mokete

Osiase Koto

Retšelisitsoe Molise

Assistant Referee of the season – M2000.00

Souru Phatsoane

Mapoho Mapoho

Pali Pali 

Chase hots up for Sundawana’s Koloti

Roboama Koloti (left) in action for Lesotho's Under-20 side

Lioli have joined Bantu in the race to sign Sundawana striker Roboama Koloti. Koloti is a man in demand after bagging 13 goals for the Butha-Buthe club last season.

The Lesotho Under-20 international also scored the winner against Mozambique to send Lesotho through to the final round of the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifiers two weekends ago.

Koloti is on Bantu’s radar as A Matšo Matebele prepare to shake up their strike-force this off-season. However, they face stiff competition from Lioli.

The champions stepped up their interest last week with a formal offer for the striker. However, Sundawana are determined to hold on to Koloti and, according to thepost newspaper, have slapped a M2 million asking fee on their prized asset.

Lesotho 1-1 South Africa (SA 4-2 on penalties)

COSAFA Castle Cup quarterfinal

Saturday, 18 June

Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek

Lesotho 1-1 South Africa

Jane Thaba-Ntšo (LES) 19’

Gift Motupa (SA) 65’

South Africa won 4-2 on penalties

Thaba-Ntšo celebrates his strike against South Africa

Tšepo Mathibelle fine-tuning for Rio 2016 in Kenya

Road To Rio: Tšepo Mathibelle (in white) in Kenya

Lesotho marathon specialist Tšepo Mathibelle says his Olympic training camp in Kenya is going well.

Mathibelle is working out at the High Performance Athletics Training Camp in Kaptagat, Kenya.

He started the camp on May 29 in preparation for the 2016 Rio Games in August.

The 24 year-old said he will not take part in any races from now until the 42.2 kilometres Olympic marathon race on 21 August.

“The competition that I am going to compete in is the Rio Olympics,” Mathibelle said. “For now I am just training. The Olympic Games marathon is on the 21st of August while other events start on the 5th; the marathon will be when the Games are being closed.”

“Training is going very well. I will be here for two months. I started on the 29th of May and will leave on the 31st of July,” Mathibelle said.

Mathibelle is part of an elite training camp featuring a number of Rio 2016 medal hopefuls.

Kenya is widely recognised as the world’s best location for marathon training and the country has a proud tradition of producing premier long distance athletes. Kaptagat is an area within the Kenyan highlands. With routes that begin at an altitude of around 2400 metres, it is known world over as an ideal place for athletes to train.

By training in Kenya, Mathibelle is looking to build on the gains he has made over the past four years.

Tšepo Mathibelle

Last year, he finished in a praiseworthy 14th place in a time of 2:17:17 hours at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.

On April 3, Mathibelle finished seventh at the Daegu International Marathon in South Korea and recorded a best personal time of 2:15:39. The new mark bettered his previous best of 2:16:21 set at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“The training camp has runners from around the world that are going to Rio. Right now I am also with runners that are going to the Berlin Marathon (in September). It’s very good,” Mathibelle said.

He continued: “My personal best will go down again now that I am here training amongst the best runners in the world.”

The Rio Olympics are slated for August 5 to 21. The marathon will be the Games’ closing event.

Lesotho through to COSAFA Cup quarterfinals

Celebration Time... Likuena win!

Lesotho           (0) 1 (Jane Thaba-Ntšo)

Malawi            (0) 0

Lesotho is through to the COSAFA Castle Cup quarterfinals after beating Malawi 1-0 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek this evening.

Likuena’s winner was scored by Jane Thaba-Ntšo in the 84th minute and Moses Maliehe and his charges can now start preparing for an enticing challenge against South Africa. The match against Bafana Bafana will be played on Saturday at 16:00.

For everyone else connected to Likuena, it’s time to celebrate, not just the result but Lesotho’s performance.

Needing just a draw to reach the quarterfinals it was evident Maliehe had a clear plan: sit back, be solid and try to catch Malawi on the break.

It was a dangerous plan because it meant Malawi controlled the early stages of the game and had the first real attempt at goals. But, the plan also showed the fruits it could bring when first Thaba-Ntso was denied by a fine save in the 17th minute and then Tšepo Seturumane missed a fine chance in the 29th minute.

Seturumane’s miscue, shooting directly at Malawi keeper Charles Swini after he had beaten the last defender, could have been costly. Although it fell to his weaker right foot, 0-0 meant Malawi remained in the ascendency and in the 34th minute Flames captain Chiukepo Msowoya narrowly failed to connect with a low cross from Isaac Kaliati.

Credit does go to Likuena, however.

As the first half went on Maliehe’s men began to grab a better foothold of the game.

Mabuti Potloane, the team’s offensive fulcrum, put in a heavy shift, making tackles and trying to initiate attacks. Although not everything worked, Potloane’s efforts galvanised the team. At the base of midfield Kefuoe Mahula was again brilliant, his confidence again remarkable.

The third member of the midfield triangle, Hlompho Kalake, went about his job quietly. Because Malawi was on top, he was forced to do a lot more defensive work than he is used to. But, Kalake did it well and on the brink of halftime he showed what he can do in the final third when he forced Swini to brilliantly tip the ball wide from a long range curler.

At halftime the score was 0-0.

The worry at the time was Lesotho’s fullback areas where Malawi consistently found joy and swung in several dangerous crosses into the box. However, curiously, Malawi stopped attacking the flanks as much in the second half. 

As a result, most of Malawi’s attacks started coming directly through the middle or from long balls and these were easier to deal with for Basia Makepe and Kopano Tseka. Malawi’s efforts were more speculative such as Gabadinho Mhango’s snap volley on the turn in the 47th minute or Muhammad Sulumba’s glancing header in the 60th minute.

Nevertheless, because Lesotho started dropping deeper and deeper, Malawi had all the play and Joseph Kamwendo shot just inches over Daniel Jousse’s crossbar in the 72nd minute. It was getting scary at this time. And, in another defensive move, Maliehe brought on defender Motlomelo Mkhwanazi for Potloane four minutes later.

But, just when it seemed as though Malawi’s might become overwhelming, two Likuena substitutes combined on the counterattack.

The energetic Motebang Sera found fellow sub Thabo Seakhoa; Seakhoa brilliantly crossed to the far post and Thaba-Ntso headed in to spark wild celebrations. It was Thaba-Ntšo’s second goal of the tournament; it was beautifully taken and it was game over.

So, South Africa is next.

Line-ups:

Lesotho (4-5-1): Daniel Jousse – Mafa Moremoholo, Basia Makepe ©, Kopano Tseka, Jeremea Kamela – Kefuoe Mahula, Hlompho Kalake, Mabuti Potloane (Motlomelo Mkhwanazi 76’), Tumelo Khutlang (Thabo Seakhoa 56’), Jane Thaba-Ntšo – Tšepo Seturumane (Motebang Sera 53’)

Malawi (4-4-2): Charles Swini – Stanley Sanudi, Franci Mlimbika, Harry Nyirenda, Miracle Gabeya – Joseph Kamwendo, Rafick Namwera, Isaac Kaliati, Gerald Jnr Phiri – Chiukepo Msowoya ©, Gabadinho Mhango

Group B Table

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
1	Lesotho	3	3	0	0	6	0	6	9
2	Malawi	3	2	0	1	4	1	3	6
3	Mauritius	3	1	0	2	2	4	-2	3
4	Angola	3	0	0	3	0	7	-7	0

Preview | Lesotho v Malawi: Likuena's date with destiny

Jane Thaba-Ntšo will be key again for Lesotho

Lesotho faces Malawi this evening at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek with the 2016 Cosafa Castle Cup quarterfinals beckoning.

Likuena are top of Group B with six points, ahead of opponents Malawi on goal difference. It means a win or draw will send Moses Maliehe’s side through to face South Africa in the quarters on Saturday. Malawi, on the other hand, has to win.

Today’s game will be Likuena’s first at the Sam Nujoma Stadium. Lesotho played its first two group games – a 3-0 win over Mauritius on Sunday and Tuesday’s 2-0 success over Angola – at the Independence Stadium.

It remains to be seen how the change in venue will affect the team. Nevertheless, the Sam Nujoma Stadium has a better playing surface which may allow Likuena to play its passing game a bit better.

Malawi’s danger-man is South African based Frank Gabadinho Mhango. The Bidvest Wits bound striker scored a hat-trick for Ernest Mtawali’s side in their opening 3-0 win over Angola. Indeed, the combination of Mhango and Malawi captain Chiukepo Msowoya is the toughest attack Lesotho will face so far in the tournament and tonight will be the biggest test of Basia Makepe and Kopano Tseka’s defensive nous.

The onus will also be on midfielder Kefuoe Mahula to continue his fine form. Mahula has been excellent screening Lesotho’s defence and his distribution of the ball has also relieved pressure and started attacks.

Goal-scoring chances are unlikely to be as readily available as in the first two games and Likuena’s frontline has to be clinical.

Coach Maliehe has made one change to the team that beat Angola on Tuesday with Jeremea Kamela returning from injury to replace Sepiriti Malefane in defence. Kamela will start at leftback meaning Mafa Moremoholo will shift back to the right of defence. Hlompho Kalake and Tšepo Seturumane both start despite being injury doubts heading into today’s game.

This evening will be the third time Lesotho and Malawi meet at the COSAFA Castle Cup. The Flames have won the previous meetings, 2-1 in 2005 and 1-0 in 2008.

Likuena will be looking to rewrite that particular history this evening.

Kick-off: 18:00

Lesotho's opponent: The Flames

Starting line-ups:

Lesotho (4-5-1): Daniel Jousse – Mafa Moremoholo, Basia Makepe ©, Kopano Tseka, Jeremea Kamela – Kefuoe Mahula, Hlompho Kalake, Mabuti Potloane, Tumelo Khutlang, Jane Thaba-Ntšo – Tšepo Seturumane

Malawi (4-4-2): Charles Swini – Stanley Sanudi, Franci Mlimbika, Harry Nyirenda, Miracle Gabeya – Joseph Kamwendo, Rafick Namwera, Isaac Kaliati, Gerald Jnr Phiri – Chiukepo Msowoya ©, Gabadinho Mhango

Match news: Captain Basia Makepe, Tumelo Khutlang, Sepiriti Malefane and Thabo Seakhoa are all on yellow cards. They will miss the next game (if Likuena advance) if they are booked today against Malawi.

Referee: Hamada El Moussa Nampiandraza (Madagascar)

Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Thusi Siwela (South Africa)

Assistant Referee 2: Matheus Kanyanga (Namibia)

Previous COSAFA Castle Cup meetings:

(11-6-05) Lusaka: Lesotho 1-2 Malawi (Potse)

(20-7-08) Secunda: Lesotho 0-1 Malawi

COSAFA Cup: Likuena make it two from two

Tšepo Seturumane (left) celebrates with goalscorer Tumelo Khutlang

Lesotho beat Angola 2-0 this evening at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia to make it two wins from two games at the 2016 COSAFA Castle Cup.

It was another promising display from Moses Maliehe’s young side and goals either side of halftime from Tumelo Khutlang and Hlompho Kalake mean Likuena are within touching distance of the quarterfinals.

Depending on the result in the later match between Malawi and Mauritius, Lesotho could need just a point from the final game against Malawi to win Group B and advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal against South Africa.

Maliehe made one change to the side that beat Mauritius 3-0 on Sunday with Sepiriti Malefane replacing Jeremea Kamela in defence. The adjustment saw Malefane start at rightback and Mafa Moremoholo shift to leftback.

The change didn’t disrupt the team, however, and Likuena, marshalled in central defence by Lioli pair Basia Makepe and Kopano, were solid at the back and from time to time looked very encouraging in attack.

And, just as they did against Mauritius on Sunday, Likuena got off to the blistering start when Tumelo Khutlang gave Lesotho the lead after 11 minutes. From there Likuena tried to grab a stranglehold of the game with Kefuoe Mahula once again impressing in the heart of midfield.

Angola did find some joy down the flanks with their speedy wingers and Lesotho had a scare in the 34th minute when Fortunato went down in the box. However, his appeals for a penalty were correctly waved away by the referee after a well-timed challenge from Makepe.

Mabuti Potloane challenged by Angola's Antonio Nzayinawo  

The second half wasn’t as assured as the first but Lesotho made sure of all three points in the 80th minute when Hlompho Kalake doubled the lead from the penalty spot. Two minutes later Angola skipper Antonio Nzayinawo was sent off for a second bookable offence and it was game over.

Angola know they will be heading home after Thursday’s final group games while Likuena can go to sleep tonight dreaming of a place in the last eight and a mouth-watering tie against South Africa.

Starting line-ups:

Lesotho XI (4-5-1): Daniel Jousse - Sepiriti Malefane, Basia Makepe ©, Kopano Tseka, Mafa Moremoholo - Hlompho Kalake, Mabuti Potloane, Kefuoe Mahula, Jane Thaba-Ntšo (Seakhoa 58’), Tumelo Khutlang - Tšepo Seturumane (Sera 63’)

Subs: Liteboho Mokhehle, Bokang Sello, Phafa Tšosane, Sera Motebang, Motlomelo Mkhwanazi, Montoeli Sonopo, Thabo Seakhoa

Angola XI: Eduardo Joao Bunga, Pedro Alves, Antonio Nzayinawo, Fernando Quissanga, Nelson Mudile, Carlos do Carmo, Joao Oliveira, Nelson da Luz, Herenilson de Carmo, Gasper Fortunato, Paulinho Nguendelamba.

Subs: Miguel Landu, Atanasio Monteiro, Joaquim Balanga, Vladimiro Felix, Daniel Jonata, Tome Pedro, Jose da Silva, Zinadine Catraio, Alberto Miguel.

Preview: Lesotho looking to maintain COSAFA momentum against Angola

Likuena looking to pick up from Sunday's win over Mauritius

Lesotho plays its second game of the 2016 COSAFA Castle Cup this afternoon when Likuena face Angola at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia.

Lesotho goes into the game with confidence after a handy 3-0 win over Mauritius in its opening match on Sunday. Thanks to the victory, Likuena go into today’s game on top of Group B.

Angola, on the other hand, suffered a 3-0 defeat to Malawi in its opener. Angola will therefore be aiming to bounce back against Likuena.

However, given that Angola has brought a largely Under-20 team to this year’s tournament, this match represents a good chance for Lesotho to take a step towards qualifying for the quarterfinals. Only one team will progress from Group B to meet South Africa on Saturday in the last eight.

Likuena are high on confidence and Moses Maliehe has a full squad to pick from with no injuries reported after Sunday’s win. Maliehe is therefore likely to stick with the same starting line-up that did so well against Mauritius.

Today’s match is the sixth time Lesotho meets Angola in the COSAFA Castle Cup. Likuena have two wins while the Palancas Negras have won the other four meetings between the nations.

Kick-off is at 18:00.

Lesotho v Angola - Past Cosafa Castle Cup meetings:

(04-7-99) Lesotho 0-1 Angola – Maseru

(23-7-00) Lesotho 2-1 Angola – Maseru (Maseela, Ntšonyana)

(30-4-06) Lesotho 1-3 Angola – Maseru (Moletsane)

(28-7-07) Lesotho 0-2 Angola – Gaborone

(14-7-13) Lesotho 1-1 Angola (Lesotho won penalties) – Kitwe (Tale)

Probable Lesotho XI:

Daniel Jousse - Mafa Moremoholo, Basia Makepe ©, Kopano Tseka, Jeremea Kamela - Kefuoe Mahula, Hlompho Kalake, Mabuti Potloane, Jane Thaba-Ntšo, Tumelo Khutlang - Tšepo Seturumane