Week 5 of the Vodacom
Premier League was another intriguing one. As usual, it was a good weekend for
some and no so good for others.
It was a good
weekend for…
 |
| Lioli's Tšepo Seturumane had a good weekend. |
Lioli
It wasn’t just a
good weekend for Lioli, it was a great one. The champions are right back in the
thick of things after looking shaky just a few weeks ago. Back-to-back wins
over Sky Battalion (last week) and Liphakoe (on Sunday) have lifted Lioli up to
second place in the Vodacom Premier League. More importantly, there suddenly appears
to be more vigour to Tse Nala.
After a slow to
start to the season, the champions again showed signs of improvement against
Liphakoe and the 2-0 win at the LCS Stadium was sealed with a first half goal
from captain Tšoanelo Koetle and a late strike from Lekhanya Lekhanya.
Lioli clearly
still have to do more adjusting to life under Halemakale Mahlaha. Nonetheless, Tse Nala are just three points off the
top and within striking distance of leaders LMPS. It is much better position to
be in for the champions.
Lioli
starting XI v Liphakoe
1. Liteboho
Mokhehle
2. Mafa
Moremoholo
3. Itumeleng
Leche
4. Kopano
Tseka
5. Salebone
Lekhooa
6. Tšoanelo
Koetle (captain)
7. Lekhanya
Lekhanya
8. Bushy
Moletsane
9. Junior Maba
10. Tumelo
Khutlang
11. Tšepo
Seturumane
Substitutes
Kananelo
Makhooane
Motlalepula
Mofolo
Obakeng
Modirwa
Setho
Moshoeshoe
Montoeli
Sonopo
Tšepo Lekhoana
Thapelo Tale
|
LMPS
There is a new
leader in the Vodacom Premier League clubhouse after the weekend’s action. LMPS
are top of the league thanks to a 2-0 win over Rovers coupled with Kick4Life’s unexpected
loss to Sky Battalion. And there are many reasons for LMPS fans to be excited right
now.
Number on the
list is the fact coach Mosito Matela appears to be moulding a complete unit. Five
matches have been played this season but LMPS are still to concede a goal and
at the end they have a striker in hot form. Tefa Makhoana notched a brace in
Saturday’s 2-0 win over Rovers. He now has four goals in five games. This is a time-honoured
recipe for success: score goals and don’t concede them.
Things are
looking good at PTC.
Sky
Battalion
In the last
three seasons the average points total for 12th place and survival from
relegation is 23.7 points. Newly-promoted Sky Battalion have already collected over
a third of that in just five games.
12th
place points total since 2014
Season
|
Team
|
Points
|
2013/14
|
Mphatlalatsane
|
23
|
2014/15
|
Mphatlalatsane
|
25
|
2015/16
|
Rovers
|
25
|
SK have
a laudable three wins from five games for nine points. Their latest victory was
their most impressive as they beat previously undefeated Kick4Life 3-2 in an
exciting affair on Saturday. The hero on the day was Tsietsi Motšeare who
struck a fantastic hattrick. But if there is one thing to be taken from SK’s
performance against Kick4Life and their start to the start overall, it is that
their early success is due to a total team effort.
The new boys
have prepared well for life in the Vodacom Premier League and it is so far, so
good in their quest to remain in the top-flight.
 |
| It was also a good weekend for SK (in red) |
It was a bad
weekend for…
Butha-Buthe
Warriors
It is still
early but it looks as though newly-promoted Butha-Buthe Warriors are out of
their depth.
The complete
opposite of Sky Battalion, Warriors are not coping with the step up to the top
league at all. Warriors have already conceded 12 goals in five games and have
only scored twice.
They have
already suffered 5-0 and 4-0 massacres (to Kick4Life and Bantu respectively)
and endured further disappointment on Sunday in a sloppy 2-1 defeat to Likhopo
at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium. This coming Sunday the Butha-Buthe side travels
to Quthing to face Liphakoe and, as early as it is, Warriors have to get
something from the game.
They are in
danger of repeating their last stay in the top-flight.
A decade ago,
Warriors collected only 11 points from 30 matches while the premiership still
had 16 teams. They conceded 75 goals and their 0.37 points per game average was
one of the worst of the past ten years.
Lowest Premier
League points totals since 2005/06
Season
|
Team
|
Games
|
Points
|
Average points per game
|
2006/07
|
Butha-Buthe
Warriors
|
30
|
11
|
0.37
|
2008/09
|
Sekamaneng
Young Stars
|
30
|
8
|
0.27
|
2009/10
|
Butha-Buthe
Roses
|
30
|
10
|
0.30
|
2010/11
|
Mabeoana
|
26
|
9
|
0.35
|
2013/14
|
Melele
|
26
|
12
|
0.46
|
2013/14
|
Joy
|
26
|
10
|
0.38
|
2014/15
|
Qoaling
Highlanders
|
26
|
9
|
0.35
|
LCS
and LDF
The uninspired goalless
draw between the sides on Sunday showed how far the former juggernauts have
fallen in the championship stakes. Even though LCS finished third last season
they haven’t really been in the headlines and predictions for this term. That
honour has gone to Lioli, Matlama and Bantu and even Kick4Life lately.
Sunday’s game
showed why. LCS said they want to win the league, their first since 2012, but
it is difficult to see how they will achieve this given their lack of
firepower. LDF, on the other, continue to look very much like a mid-table team.
But maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise. The eight-time champions haven’t finished
in the top four since 2013.
Lesotho’s
facilities
Saturday’s highly-anticipated
clash between Matlama and Bantu had to be postponed because there was a church service
at Setsoto Stadium all weekend.
It is a
disappointment to fans that a match of such magnitude has to be shelved because
there are not enough adequate facilities in the country. And this lack of
facilities is a pressing matter as Lesotho celebrates 50 years of independence.
Weekend
Results:
Saturday, 1
October
Sundawana 1-1
Linare
LCS 0-0 LDF
LMPS 2-0 Rovers
Matlama
v Bantu (Postponed)
Sunday, 2
October
Butha-Buthe
Warriors 1-2 Likhopo
Sky Battalion
3-2 Kick4Life
Lioli 2-0
Liphakoe
Leading
Scorers:
4 goals
Maba Junior (Lioli)
Tsietsi Motšeare
(Sky Battalion)
Tefa Makhoana (LMPS)
Thabiso Brown (Kick4Life)
3 goals
Morapeli
Lesoetsa (Kick4Life)
Leboneng Moqecho
(LCS)
Litšepe Marabe (Bantu)
Nzenze Nkulu (Linare)
Vodacom Premier League Standings:
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts.
|
||
1
|
LMPS
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
13
|
2
|
Kick4Life
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
12
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
3
|
Lioli
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
2
|
4
|
10
|
4
|
Bantu
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
8
|
2
|
6
|
9
|
5
|
Sky Battalion
|
5
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
7
|
-1
|
9
|
6
|
LCS
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
8
|
7
|
Liphakoe
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
8
|
8
|
Matlama
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
9
|
Linare
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
5
|
10
|
LDF
|
5
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
-1
|
4
|
11
|
Likhopo
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
-3
|
4
|
12
|
Sundawana
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
-2
|
3
|
13
|
Rovers
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
12
|
-9
|
1
|
14
|
Butha-Buthe
Warriors
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
14
|
-12
|
0
|
No comments:
Post a Comment