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| The wait is finally over for Matlama... |
Matlama have
been crowned 2018 LNIG Top 8 champions after a pulsating 3-1 win over Bantu in
the final at Setsoto Stadium this afternoon.
Tse Putsoa’s triumph is historic
on several levels. Firstly and most importantly to the club’s fans, the victory
ends Matlama’s eight-year trophy drought. The Pitso Ground outfit hadn’t won
any silverware since winning the league title in 2010.
Matlama have also
ruined Bantu’s chances of becoming the first side to win a treble and claim a clean
sweep of all domestic trophies – A Matšo
Matebele are currently top of the Econet Premier League and had already captured
the Independence Cup in October.
Tse Putsoa are also the
first team other than Lioli or Bantu to win the LNIG Top 8 since it was
launched in 2014.
Matlama’s win
is made even more remarkable by how improbable it was at the turn of the year.
Even heading into to today’s final Matlama were heavy underdogs having not
featured in a final since the 2016 Independence Cup when they lost to Lioli.
Moreover, the
last time Matlama and Bantu had met – in December in the league – A Matšo Matebele ran out 4-2 winners.
However,
Matlama have been reborn under Mosito Matela who took over as coach in October
after a rough start to the season and a disappointing 2016/17 campaign in which
Lesotho’s most successful club finished eighth in the league.
Over the past
two months Matlama have beaten Lioli 4-1 in the league, overcome a first leg
deficit to beat Kick4Life in the LNIG Top 8 quarterfinals and yesterday they
outfoxed Lioli 1-0 to reach today’s final.
Despite their
underdog status, confidence has been growing within Matlama as the weeks have
passed and they were the more assertive side against Bantu. Their positive approach paid
off handsomely and Tse Putsoa’s goalscoring heroes in the final were Phafa Tšosane,
Lehlomela Ramabele and tournament top scorer Lebajoa Mosehlanyane.
It has
been a complete team effort to get Matlama here, however. Captain Mabuti Potloane was immense
in the centre of the park again and defender John Mohai won the final’s man of the match
award for his stellar work at the back.
At the end of
the day, coach Matela will go down in history as the man who
ended the club’s second longest trophy drought and returned Matlama to the top
of Lesotho football.
LNIG
Top 8 awards:
Player of the tournament:
Lebajoa
Mosehlanyane (Matlama)
Top
goalscorer: Lebajoa Mosehlanyane (Matlama)
Coach of the
tournament: Mosito Matela (Matlama)
Goalkeeper of
the tournament: Monaheng Ramalefane (Matlama)
Referee of the
tournament: Lebalang Mokete
Assistant
referee of the tournament: Lesupi Puputla
LNIG Top 8 Finals results:
Third place
playoff
Lioli 3-2 LCS
Final
Matlama 3-1
Bantu
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