Kick4Life and Bantu battle for first place

Will Bantu be celebrating this weekend?

Kick4Life and Bantu face-off in a top of the table Vodacom Premier League clash at the LCS Stadium on Saturday. It is an unexpected summit meeting but the two sides are the early class of the league.

Between them Kick4Life and Bantu are perfect after the opening three rounds with 17 goals scored between them.

Thanks to a superior goal difference it is Kick4Life who go into the game as the bosses of the Vodacom Premier League, a notable achievement for a club that was only promoted to the top-flight two years ago.

And confidence is high at Kick4Life.

Under former Lesotho coach Leslie Notši, Kick4Life have become difficult to beat and, despite their protestations otherwise, this clash against Bantu will show if Kick4Life are contenders this season or not.

Kick4Life can draw confidence from the teams’ recent meetings.

They won both league matches against Bantu last season, 1-0 last December and 3-2 in May, so there should be no fear factors for them heading into this tie. Their win in May is especially still fresh in the mind. It was a match in which ex-Bantu striker Fidele Ntoya-Malonga scored a brace for Kick4Life, a win that sealed a fifth place premiership finish for Notši’s side.

Kick4Life have said they want to improve on that fifth place and they appear on track. Last Sunday they beat Sundawana 2-1 away from home with second half goals from Thabiso Brown and Morapeli Lesoetsa. Now it is time for Kick4Life to face their biggest test of the season so far.

In Mafeteng the hype for this game is almost through the roof. Bantu are relevant in the title race again after they finished seventh last season. Under new coach James Madidilane there is a vibrancy that was missing all of last season. Bantu appears a club reborn and that alone is enough to whip the excitable hordes in Mafeteng into frenzy.

There is already talk of a second title in club history, excitement driven by the early performances of Litšepe Marabe and new find Moloisane "Chuku" Ramasimong amongst others.

Last Sunday, the 2014 champions massacred Butha-Buthe Warriors 4-0, the second time in their opening three games they scored three or more goals.

But, like Kick4Life, Saturday’s clash is the first real test of Bantu’s credentials.

Is Bantu’s defence, which was porous last season and looked shaky against Rovers in their opening game, fixed? Can their collection of star attackers break down an organised defence, something they could not do consistently enough last season?

Of course, in the great scheme of things this match will not decide much when it comes to title race because it is still so early. But it is definitely a massive statement game for both Kick4Life and Bantu.

Matlama v LDF (Sunday, Pitso Ground)

The two most successful clubs in Lesotho’s history meet at Pitso Ground on Sunday. But whereas this would have been the weekend’s top billing in years past, both sides go into the game with questions marks and carrying longstanding trophy droughts.

Matlama, record ten time champions, haven’t won the title or a trophy since 2010. LDF haven’t won the league since 2004. Their last piece of silverware came in 2008.

Matlama have stuttered to start the season with a win and two draws from their first three games. If Tse Putsoa want to go one better than last season when they finished second, this is a match they have to win.

LDF, on the other hand, may be set for another empty campaign judging by their two points from their opening three games. The eight times champions also desperately need to jump-start their season Pitso Ground.

Lioli and LDF need wins this weekend...

Sky Battalion v Lioli (Sunday, LCS)

With Kick4Life and Bantu meeting this is a must-win game for champions Lioli who already find themselves five points adrift of the top of the league. Things haven’t gone smoothly for Lioli as they deal with the sudden transition from Mosholi Mokhothu to Halemakale Mahlaha as coach.

The team has been disjointed and their normal flow absent in the first three games. New mega signing Thapelo Tale is still finding his feet at Tse Nala and there have already been grumblings in Teyateyaneng over the team’s displays.

Facing newly-promoted Sky Battalion might have been a reprieve from the pressure, but the new boys have already compounded critics by winning two of their opening three games. This will be a major challenge for Lioli and a definite test of their championship mettle.

Elsewhere…

There is a double header at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium on Saturday where winless new boys Butha-Buthe Warriors will host LMPS while Sundawana will battle LCS.

On Sunday, Likhopo will be desperate to get their first points under new coach Tšepo Hlojeng when they host third-placed Liphakoe at the LCS Stadium. In the weekend’s final game, Linare will host Rovers at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium. It should be a lively affair. Both teams have just a point from three games and a win is desperately needed for both.

However, all eyes this weekend will be on the LCS Stadium where Kick4Life and Bantu battle for first place on Saturday.

Vodacom Premier League Fixtures:

Saturday, 24 September

Butha-Buthe Warriors v LMPS (13:00, Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)

Sundawana v LCS (15:00, Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)

Kick4Life v Bantu (15:00, LCS)

Sunday, 25 September

Matlama v LDF (15:00, Pitso Ground)

Likhopo v Liphakoe (13:00, LCS)

Sky Battalion v Lioli (15:00, LCS)

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

Vodacom Premier League Standings

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
1	Kick4Life	3	3	0	0	9	1	8	9
2	Bantu	3	3	0	0	8	1	7	9
3	Liphakoe	3	2	1	0	3	1	2	7
4	LMPS	3	2	1	0	2	0	2	7
5	LCS	3	2	0	1	5	3	2	6
6	Sky Battalion	3	2	0	1	3	3	0	6
7	Matlama	3	1	2	0	3	2	1	5
8	Lioli	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
9	LDF	3	0	2	1	2	3	-1	2
10	Linare	3	0	1	2	2	4	-2	1
11	Sundawana	3	0	1	2	2	4	-2	1
12	Rovers	3	0	1	2	2	5	-3	1
13	Likhopo	3	0	0	3	0	4	-4	0
14	Butha-Buthe Warriors	3	0	0	3	1	11	-10	0