 |
| LMPS and Likhopo stand in the way of Lioli and Kick4Life |
The Vodacom
Premier League takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon with the top three all
in action. Bantu, Lioli and Kick4Life are separated by just one point at the
top of the league and each team knows it cannot afford to slip-up as the title
race begins to reach its business end.
Bantu are still in
the lead with 33 points after 15 games. Today the Mafeteng giants travel to
Roma to face a tricky Rovers side. Rovers are third from bottom in the Vodacom
Premier League but they are never easy opponents, especially in Roma.
This is the same
Rovers team that beat Lioli 2-1 in October a week after Tse Nala had won the Independence Cup.
Bantu coach
James Madidilane warned that his side cannot relax against the Dynamites. “It’s not going to be easy at all because any team that
plays Bantu brings their A-game,” he said.
A
Matšo Matebele come into the game on a two-match win streak after
convincing wins over Likhopo and Butha-Buthe Warriors. Another win this
afternoon in Roma would keep them on top heading into the LNIG Top 8 cup which
starts next weekend.
If Bantu slip-up,
Lioli and Kick4Life hope they will be ready to take advantage.
Second-placed Lioli,
with 32 points, have the trickier of the matches as they travel to PTC to face fifth-placed
LMPS on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning
champions have enjoyed a good start to 2017 winning tough games against LDF and
Linare and they remain well-placed for a third successive championship triumph.
Tse Nala are the form team in the
league having won five of their last six games, scoring 15 goals in the
process.
Form Guide – Last 6 Games
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
||
1
|
Lioli
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
15
|
3
|
2
|
LCS
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
11
|
3
|
3
|
Bantu
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
13
|
4
|
4
|
Kick4Life
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
11
|
4
|
5
|
Sundawana
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
6
|
Linare
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
11
|
9
|
7
|
Sky
Battalion
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
7
|
6
|
8
|
Rovers
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
LMPS
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
5
|
10
|
LDF
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
9
|
12
|
11
|
Matlama
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
Liphakoe
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
13
|
Likhopo
|
6
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
15
|
14
|
Butha-Buthe
Warriors
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
27
|
Their opponents
LMPS, however, have only lost once in six games at PTC this season and Teyateyaneng
giants will have to be at their best to claim all three points.
 |
| Liphakoe will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to 2017 against LCS |
The third side
in the race, Kick4Life, are also in action on Saturday. Leslie Notši’s charges
are third with 32 points. They face struggling Likhopo at the LCS Stadium and
will be looking to take advantage of their opponents’ poor form. Likhopo are
second from bottom in the league and they have only won once in 15 games this
season.
Kick4Life, on
the other hand, have won four of their last five matches. They are the league’s
top scoring team with 30 goals in their 15 outings and they appear already strengthened
by the January signings of Khubetsoana Kamela and Likano Teele.
In other games
this weekend, fourth-placed LCS host Liphakoe, who are unbeaten since the appointment of Motebang Makhetha at the start of the year, on Saturday afternoon at the LCS
Stadium. The match will be the second of a double header at the ground and will
start at 15:00. The game between Kick4Life and Likhopo will be played before at
13:00.
There is another
double header on Sunday and it is also at the LCS Stadium. Surprise package Sky
Battalion will host Linare at 13:00 with Matlama against Butha-Buthe Warriors
the main event at 15:00.
The weekend’s
final game is at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium where eighth-placed Sundawana, who
are unbeaten since October, host ninth-placed LDF.
Weekend
Fixtures:
Saturday, 28 January
LMPS v Lioli (15:00, PTC)
Rovers v Bantu (15:00, Roma)
Likhopo v Kick4Life (13:00, LCS)
LCS v Liphakoe (15:00, LCS)
Sunday, 29 January
Sundawana v LDF (15:00, Maputsoe DiFA Stadium)
Sky Battalion v Linare (13:00, LCS)
Matlama v Butha-Buthe Warriors (15:00, LCS)
Vodacom Premier
League Standings:
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts.
|
||
1
|
Bantu
|
15
|
10
|
3
|
2
|
29
|
7
|
22
|
33
|
2
|
Lioli
|
15
|
10
|
2
|
3
|
28
|
8
|
20
|
32
|
3
|
Kick4Life
|
15
|
10
|
2
|
3
|
30
|
15
|
15
|
32
|
4
|
LCS
|
15
|
8
|
4
|
3
|
21
|
14
|
7
|
28
|
5
|
LMPS
|
15
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
14
|
9
|
5
|
25
|
6
|
Sky Battalion
|
15
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
18
|
14
|
4
|
24
|
7
|
Matlama
|
15
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
18
|
9
|
9
|
21
|
8
|
Sundawana
|
15
|
4
|
7
|
4
|
12
|
13
|
-1
|
19
|
9
|
LDF
|
15
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
14
|
13
|
1
|
18
|
10
|
Liphakoe
|
15
|
4
|
4
|
7
|
13
|
19
|
-6
|
16
|
11
|
Linare
|
15
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
21
|
23
|
-2
|
14
|
12
|
Rovers
|
15
|
2
|
4
|
9
|
11
|
26
|
-15
|
10
|
13
|
Likhopo
|
15
|
1
|
3
|
11
|
9
|
27
|
-18
|
6
|
14
|
Butha-Buthe Warriors
|
15
|
0
|
2
|
13
|
10
|
42
|
-33
|
2
|
·
Matlama
docked 3 points
·
LDF
docked 3 points and 3 goals
No comments:
Post a Comment