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| The LNIG Top 8 served up a thrilling weekend of action... |
It was an
action-packed weekend in the LNIG Top 8 quarterfinal second legs as eight teams
battled to progress to the semi-finals.
Most of the
drama was reserved for Sunday as reigning champions Lioli found their title
defence hanging by a thread against LMPS while Kick4Life and Matlama met for
another heavyweight clash.
It was a
Moshoeshoe’s Day special and now only four teams remain in the 2018 LNIG Top 8.
Bantu 5-1 Sky Battalion (Bantu won 7-2 on aggregate)
League
champions and LNIG Top 8 favourites Bantu finished off their quarterfinal job
with a routine second leg win over Sky Battalion at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium
on Saturday.
Facing Sky
Battalion has been the perfect tonic for Bantu after their CAF Champions League
heartbreak at the hands of Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows last month.
In the first
leg, A Matšo Matebele were able to
rest key players and test new combinations against a Sky Battalion side that
was not only the weakest in the tournament, but is rooted to the bottom of the
Econet Premier League.
In the second
leg, Bantu coach James Madidilane didn’t take any chances, however. Taking a slender
2-1 lead on paper from the first leg, Madidilane named his strongest possible line-up
for Saturday’s game despite suggestions by the South African coach he would
rotate his team once more.
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Starting XI v Sky
Battalion:
Thabo Selisa – Johannes Molapo, Lekhooa Khoete, Tsietsi
Khooa, Thapelo Mokhehle – Lindokuhle Phungulwa, Litšepe Marabe, Hlompho Kalake,
Tsietsi Motšeare – Tsebang Lebata,
Mokone Marabe
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Bantu were
rewarded in emphatic fashion as Tsietsi Motšeare, Tsebang Lebata, Hlompho
Kalake and Litšepe Marabe with a brace gave them a 5-1 second leg romp. A Matšo Matebele will now face LCS in
the semi-finals as they look to capture an unprecedented domestic treble.
LCS 1-1 LDF (LCS won 6-1 on aggregate)
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| LCS kept LDF at bay to advance to semi-finals... |
LCS did all
the hard work in the first leg after a 5-0 win at the LCS Stadium two weeks ago.
Although LDF coach Motheo Mohapi refused to give up on the tie, this was a lost
cause and Masheshena comfortably
finished the job in Maputsoe. It is a fourth successive semi-final appearance in
the competition for LCS who have been losers in the last two finals to Lioli.
Mpitsa Marai’s
charges will be hoping they can finally go one step better this season. Before
that, however, Masheshena have the unenviable
task of toppling the juggernaut that is Bantu in the semi-finals.
Kick4Life 1-3 Matlama (Matlama won 3-2 on aggregate)
In the lead up
to the second leg both coaches spoke of needing to attack and they stayed true to
their word as their teams served up a scintillating 90 minutes at the LCS
Stadium on Sunday.
Before the
game, Matlama coach Mosito Matela had insisted Tse Putsoa only need to improve their finishing if they were to go
through to the semi-finals.
Kick4Life
coach Leslie Notši, for his part, said his side couldn’t sit back on their 1-0
first leg win.
The upshot was
a thriller for fans in attendance.
Matlama were
ahead early through midfielder Phafa Tšosane as Tse Putsoa quickly cancelled Kick4Life’s away goals advantage from
the first leg but just before halftime Likano Teele equalised to restore
Kick4Life’s aggregate lead.
The second
half was a classic with both teams landing blows like it was a heavyweight
boxing bout.
After end to
end action, it was Matlama who landed the sucker punch through Lebajoa
Mosehlanyane who has been a revelation for Tse
Putsoa since joining from Bantu in January.
The next goal
was going to be all important; whichever team got it would win the tie. Once
again Mosehlanyane came up big for Matlama to seal the game and keep Tse Putsoa’s hopes of ending an eight-year
trophy drought alive.
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| ... and Matlama overcame Kick4Life |
LMPS 0-2 Lioli (Lioli won 2-1 on aggregate)
While Matlama
and Kick4Life provided the most fireworks, the most tension was reserved for
the final game of the weekend as defending champions Lioli had to make sure they
overcame a 1-0 first leg deficit against a LMPS side that hadn’t lost a game in
2018 to save their season.
The pressure
was all on Tse Nala and their
embattled coach Morena Ramorebodi who was facing calls from Lioli fans to leave
after last week’s 4-1 league disaster against Matlama. To their credit, Lioli
finally showed their big match temperament to overwhelm a determined and star-studded
LMPS side.
Tumelo Khutlang
gave Lioli the lead in the first half before influential midfielder Tšoanelo
Koetle sealed the win with a second half penalty.
By avoiding
defeat, Lioli keep their hopes of ending the season with a trophy alive. Tse Nala haven’t finished a season
trophyless since the 2011/12 campaign. They have also hopefully kick-started
life under Ramorebodi. Next up in the LNIG Top 8 they face Matlama on April 7.
LNIG Top 8 quarterfinal second leg results:
Saturday
LCS 1-1 LDF
(LCS won 6-1 on aggregate)
Bantu 5-1 Sky
Battalion (Bantu won 7-2 on aggregate)
Sunday
LMPS 0-2 Lioli
(Lioli won 2-1 on aggregate)
Kick4Life 1-3
Matlama (Matlama won 3-2 on aggregate)
Semi-finals:
(April 7, Setsoto Stadium)
Lioli v
Matlama
Bantu v LCS
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