Lioli keep pressure on Bantu in title chase

Tšoanelo Koetle was on the scoresheet
for Lioli as they thumped Sky Battalion 4-0

Lioli kept up the pressure on league champions Bantu with a 4-0 thumping of Sky Battalion at the LCS Stadium on Monday afternoon.

Tse Nala got the win thanks to a brace from Tumelo Khutlang and a goal each from Tšoanelo Koetle and Lekhanya Lekhanya. The result also condemns Sky Battalion to relegation from the Econet Premier League.

SK have minus-4 points from 19 games after being deducted six points at the start of the season; the most points they can reach at the end of the season is 11 which will not be enough to overtake Likhopo who are in 12th place.

Only one team will be relegated at the end of the campaign after Sundawana were expelled from the league in November.

For Lioli it was a case of taking care of business.

Khutlang gave Tse Nala a 1-0 lead into halftime as Sky Battalion showed commendable fighting spirit. However, the Teyateyaneng giants ran away with the game in the second half with Khutlang doubling the lead before Koetle and Lekhanya made it a romp. Khutlang even managed to miss a penalty late on as Lioli piled the misery on an overmatched SK side.

Bantu remain on top of the Econet Premiership, one point ahead of Lioli, after they claimed a tougher than expected 1-0 win over Likhopo at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium. A Matšo Matebele’s winner came in the 23rd minute courtesy of in-form winger Ramasimong Maloisane.

The third team in the title picture, Matlama, suffered a potentially terminal result to their aspirations as they were held to a 1-1 draw by ninth-placed LMPS at the PTC Ground. The result means Matlama find themselves three points behind Bantu having played two more games than A Matšo Matebele. Tse Putsoa, who have five matches left to play, now need a minor miracle to win their first title since 2010.

The last of Easter Monday’s games – the battle for fourth place between LDF and Kick4Life – was called off in the first half with the scores goalless because of thunderstorms and lightning.

The big movers of the weekend are LCS who thumped Linare 4-0 in Maputsoe on Saturday.

The star of the show was Makara Ntaitsane who struck a hattrick but the afternoon was also memorable for the return of Masheshena’s Lesotho international Thabo Seakhoa who played for the first time in over a year after recovering from a horrific leg break.

Saturday also saw a win for Liphakoe who were too good for top-flight new boys Sefotha-fotha in match that was played at the LCS Stadium. The final score was 2-1 and Liphakoe are 10th just two points outside the top eight.

Econet Premier League Easter Weekend Results:

Saturday

Linare 0-4 LCS

Liphakoe 2-1 Sefotha-fotha

Monday

Bantu 1-0 Likhopo 

Sky Battalion 0-4 Lioli
LMPS 1-1 Matlama
LDF v Kick4Life (match called off due to heavy rain and lightning)

Standings:

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
1	Bantu	17	12	3	2	32	11	+21	39
2	Lioli	18	11	5	2	31	15	+16	38
3	Matlama	19	10	6	3	25	13	+12	36
4	Kick4Life	18	8	6	4	24	13	+11	30
5	LDF	17	6	7	4	19	15	+4	25
6	LCS	18	6	6	6	18	14	+4	24
7	Majantja	18	6	6	6	18	18	0	24
8	Linare	19	8	3	8	20	26	-6	24
9	LMPS	17	6	5	6	17	18	-1	23
10	Liphakoe	18	7	1	10	17	25	-8	22
11	Sefotha-fotha	18	3	8	7	13	24	-12	17
12	Likhopo	18	3	4	11	11	24	-13	13
13	Sky Battalion	19	0	2	17	4	34	-30	-4

·         Linare docked 3 points for late registration

·         Sky Battalion docked 6 points for late registration

·         Bantu docked 3 points and 3 goals

·         Lioli awarded 3 points and 3 goals