Bantu and Lioli faceoff in potential Econet Premiership title decider

Bantu and Lioli meet again to decide the kings of the Premier League...

Despite protestations from both camps, when Bantu and Lioli meet on Sunday at Setsoto Stadium the clash will go a long way towards deciding the 2017/18 Econet Premier League title. One thing is for sure, if Bantu win they are all but guaranteed of winning the championship.

A Matšo Matebele go into the clash with 45 points from their 19 matches while Lioli have 41 points from the same number of games.

The pressure, therefore, is all on Tse Nala. Simply put, if the Teyateyaneng side don’t win, it will take a minor miracle for them to wrestle the title away from Bantu in the four matches remaining after Sunday’s meeting.

Lioli have been unconvincing in 2018 but somehow they have managed to stay in the title race by scraping wins together and the judgement in March by the Lesotho Football Association which gave Tse Nala a 3-0 win over Bantu for a match in December between the sides which A Matšo Matebele originally won (Bantu were found guilty of using illegally registered players).

Lioli’s recent league record against Bantu doesn’t make happy reading for Tse Nala, however.

Lioli haven’t beaten Bantu in the league since February 2011.

Bantu v Lioli head-to-head since 2011
17-12-2017	Lioli	1-2	Bantu *
12-03-2017	Bantu	2-1	Lioli
16-10-2016	Lioli	0-0	Bantu
13-03-2016	Lioli	0-0	Bantu
01-10-2015	Bantu	3-1	Lioli
03-04-2015	Bantu	1-1	Lioli
21-09-2014	Lioli	0-0	Bantu
01-03-2014	Lioli	0-1	Bantu
17-11-2013	Bantu	2-1	Lioli
07-04-2013	Bantu	0-0	Lioli
27-10-2012	Lioli	1-2	Bantu
07-04-2012	Lioli	0-0	Bantu
04-02-2012	Bantu	0-1	Lioli
25-05-2011	Lioli	2-1	Bantu
12-02-2011	Bantu	1-0	Lioli
Lioli awarded 3-0 win

This week Lioli coach Morena Ramorebodi insisted the game wouldn’t decide the title saying: “We are still left with five games and they are all important, just like our game against Bantu. We might beat Bantu but then lose to other teams and it will make our chances very slim.”

But, whatever the case may be, Sunday’s clash will be a thriller.

The Stage - Setsoto Stadium

The Key Battles:

Coaches: James Madidilane v Morena Ramorebodi

James Madidilane has done a brilliant job since taking over as Bantu coach in June 2016 and has grown into a cult figure in Mafeteng. The former Bloemfontein Celtic and South Africa defender has not only re-energised Bantu’s squad but the team’s entire fan-base.

Together, Madidilane and his Mafeteng army last May dethroned Lioli of the league crown they held for two years and last October added the Independence Cup. Now he has Bantu in position to claim the rare feat of back-to-back titles. Madidilane has grown into his role as A Matšo Matebele’s leader and has the full trust of the players and fans.

His counterpart Morena Ramorebodi has had a rocky start to life as Lioli coach since taking over in January. But after going without a win in his first three games, Tse Nala have won four of their last five matches. Sunday’s game is Ramorebodi’s biggest test as Lioli coach. How he approaches the game may be the biggest deciding factor in the clash against Bantu.

Bantu’s attack v Lioli’s defence

Lioli have kept a cleansheet in their last three league matches and despite significant turnover in personnel in 2018, the constant has been Kopano Tseka in the centre of defence and the fullback duo of Mafa Moremoholo and Bokang Sello.

Bantu’s calling card, on the other hand, is their versatility in attack and they are a problem for defences because they have so many different weapons. Lazola Tjokotjokwana, Tsietsi Motšeare and Litšepe Marabe have all scored seven or more goals this season while Hlompho Kalake is always a goal threat from midfield.   

The midfield battle

Midfield is where games are normally won and it is no surprise Lioli and Bantu have two of the best midfield units in the country. Both midfields combine steel with silky skills and they regularly set the platform for both teams’ wins.

One on side there is the Bantu midfield led by Hlompho Kalake and on the other is the Tse Nala engineroom run by Tšoanelo Koetle. This battle will go a long way in deciding Sunday's juggernaut showdown.