Matlama win LNIG Top 8 to end eight-year trophy drought

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

LNIG Top 8 quarterfinals serve up a classic weekend

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.

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

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)

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.

... 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

LDF coach Motheo Mohapi: “Lack of discipline cost us against LCS”

Not a happy man... LDF coach Motheo Mohapi

LDF coach Motheo Mohapi has blamed a lack of discipline for his side’s embarrassing 5-0 loss to LCS in Sunday’s LNIG Top 8 quarterfinal first leg.

The rout at the LCS Stadium all but ends Sohle-Sohle’s hopes of progressing in the competition and will continue a trophy drought which dates back to 2008. The mauling is LDF’s worst defeat since a similar 5-0 loss to Lioli in April 2016 in the same tournament.

Speaking after his side’s defeat, a visibly upset Mohapi said LDF’s poor performance was a result of ill-discipline from the players.

“The thing is that the players’ behaviour is not good, football goes hand in hand with discipline,” he said.

Mohapi said a lack of discipline has been an on-going headache at the Ratjomose club in recent months.

“When the players are not behaving well, things like this will happen,” he said. “I don’t know, maybe they think they know better, but their behaviour is not pleasing. It is just this past week when we were discussing discipline which is (the players’) major problem.”

LDF will meet LCS in the second leg on March 10 and despite the mountain to climb, Mohapi refused to give up on the tie.

“We will go back to the drawing board and work hard, this game isn’t over,” Mohapi insisted.

“Where we made mistakes we will go back to fix them, but what I can tell you is that there are players that are not behaving well which is the major problem that I am going through at the moment.”

The 2018 LNIG Top 8 is here: Who wins it all?

The LNIG Top 8 is here... 

Defending champions Lioli launch their LNIG Top 8 title defence on Saturday afternoon when they face LMPS at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium. The match will also serve as the curtain raiser for the competition’s 2018 edition with three other quarterfinal first leg ties taking place this weekend.

This year is the fifth edition of Lesotho’s richest cup tournament and here is a look at the eight quarterfinal contenders:

Lioli v LMPS

Lioli

Background: The LNIG Top 8 probably represents Tse Nala’s best chance of winning a trophy this season. The Independence Cup is already taken – Bantu saw to that last October by stealing that particular crown from Lioli. A Matšo Matebele also own a healthy seven-point lead in the Econet Premiership with nine games to play.

Tse Nala can still win the league; they still have to face Bantu again there. But the LNIG Top 8 represents the clearest path to silverware and avoiding a first trophyless season for Lioli since 2011/12. Promisingly for Tse Nala they are the competition’s most successful club having won the title in three of the four years it has been held (2014, 2016 and 2017).

Lioli’s run of success in Lesotho football:
Season	Premier League	Independence Cup	LNIG Top 8
2012/13	Champions	Did not qualify	Tournament not played
2013/14	Second	Finalists	Winners
2014/15	Champions	Winners	Quarterfinalists
2015/16	Champions	Finalists	Winners
2016/17	Second	Winners	Winners
2017/18	-	Fourth	-

Tšoanelo Koetle (second left) will be key for Lioli...

Can they maintain their trophy-winning run? Lioli go into their quarterfinal first leg tie against LMPS on the back of their first win under coach Morena Ramorebodi (a 1-0 league win over Majantja last weekend) and they are favourites over Simunye over two legs. As the competition progresses, however, a lot will hinge on the form of Tšoanelo Koetle. The Lesotho international midfielder hasn’t been at his brilliant best in 2018 and Lioli will need him to be if they are to claim a hattrick of LNIG Top 8 titles. Along with Bantu, the Teyateyaneng giants are the obvious picks to reach the final, at least.

Prediction: Finalists

LMPS

Background:  LMPS will be making their debut in the competition. Simunye were for a time Lesotho’s cup kings a decade ago. They won the Buddie Top 4 title in 2007, the Imperial Top 8 in 2008, the MGC Supa 8 in 2009 and the Independence Cup in 2008 and 2009. However, LMPS go into this year’s LNIG Top 8 as rank outsiders.

Can they cause an upset? Despite their low-key persona, LMPS are quite a star-studded side. One of them is former Lioli favourite Tšepo Seturumane. The Likuena star has continued his brilliance at the police side this season and has five league goals. Nevertheless, for Seturumane and LMPS to overcome Tse Nala will be tough.

Once Lioli’s bogey team, LMPS have a terrible record against Lioli over the last five years.

LMPS’s terrible record against Lioli
02/12/17	Lioli	2-1	LMPS	L
28/01/17	LMPS	0-2	Lioli	L
27/08/16	Lioli	0-1	LMPS	W
17/01/16	Lioli	3-0	LMPS	L
12/09/15	LMPS	0-1	Lioli	L
11/03/15	Lioli	7-0	LMPS	L
17/09/14	LMPS	0-1	Lioli	L
15/03/14	LMPS	0-1	Lioli	L
03/11/13	Lioli	2-1	LMPS	L
16/02/13	LMPS	0-1	Lioli	L
08/09/12	Lioli	2-0	LMPS	L

Admittedly, all the encounters have been in the league which is different from cup football. But LMPS have lost 10 of the last 11 games against LMPS and that is a horrendous record. It is difficult to see how Simunye beat Lioli, especially as they have to do it over two legs.

Prediction: Quarterfinalists

Matlama v Kick4Life

Mabuti Potloane and Matlama will be looking to end
the club's eight-year trophy drought...

Matlama

Background: Matlama are in the competition for a fifth successive season and join Lioli, Bantu, LCS and LDF as the only teams to play in every edition of the tournament. However, unlike last year when they were knocked out at the first hurdle, this year it actually feels like Tse Putsoa have a chance.

Whereas last season was a constant flop this campaign is turning out quite well and Matlama can still finish in the top two in the league. The change has been down to a happier and better organised unit since Mosito Matela took over as coach last October.

“We revised the roles of the players on the pitch,” Matela said earlier this year. “Each player had to know where they play exactly and from that you are then able to form one team. The players are all on the same page right now.”

Can they end their trophy drought? Matlama are Lesotho’s most successful club side with ten league titles and six Independence Cup titles. The LNIG Top 8 (admittedly only five years old) is the only trophy the club has not won. Tse Putsoa haven’t won a trophy since 2010 but if they can navigate their way past Kiick4Life then anything is possible.

Prediction: Quarterfinalists

Kick4Life

Background: Kick4Life are making their second appearance in the tournament after reaching the semi-finals in their debut last season. Leslie Notši’s side meet Matlama in a clash of two of 2018’s in-form teams. Kick4Life are fifth in the league and Tse Putsoa are third, and both want a trophy.

League form in 2018
Kick4Life				Matlama
18/02	LCS	0-1		18/02	Likhopo	0-1
10/02	Lioli	1-1		10/02	Sky Battalion	2-0
04/02	Likhopo	1-0		03/02	Linare	1-1
27/01	Sky Battalion	2-0		28/01	Liphakoe	3-1
21/01	Majantja	1-1		21/01	LDF	1-0
14/01	Sefotha-fotha	1-1		14/01	Lioli	0-0
03/12	Linare	3-0		03/12	Bantu	2-4
25/11	Liphakoe	2-1		26/11	Majantja	2-1

Can they win their first trophy? Kick4Life are looking for trophy success to certify their meteoric rise to the upper echelons of Lesotho football. When the LNIG Top 8 was launched in 2014 Kick4Life were still playing in the first division. Today they are genuine contenders to win it all.

It has been a remarkable rise and they are a dark-horse for the trophy. Kick4Life are led by the tournament’s best coach, Leslie Notši, and now boast a host of Likuena internationals. This is a well-drilled outfit that can control games and squeeze the life out of opponents. In the quarterfinals against Matlama where the tie is over two legs the advantage is firmly with Kick4Life.

Thabo Masualle (right) is part of Kick4Life's
crew of Lesotho internationals...

The question mark hangs over the once-off semi-final and final rounds where firepower and moments of brilliance begin to rule the day. It will be fascinating to see how Kick4Life fare this year, and to see how close they are to winning the first trophy in club history.

Prediction: Semi-finalists

Sky Battalion v Bantu

Sky Battalion

Background: Sky Battalion are making their debut in the competition and are not expected to last long. They face tournament favourites Bantu and haven’t a game all season.

Prediction: Quarterfinalists

Sky Battalion since November (league)
05/11/17	Sky Battalion	0-1	LCS
15/11/17	Kick4Life	1-1	Sky Battalion
19/11/17	Sky Battalion	0-2	LMPS
03/12/17	LDF	2-0	Sky Battalion
17/12/17	Sefotha-fotha	1-0	Sky Battalion
27/01/18	Sky Battalion	0-2	Kick4Life
04/02/18	Majantja	0-0	Sky Battalion
10/02/18	Sky Battalion	0-2	Matlama
17/02/18	Liphakoe	1-0	Sky Battalion

Bantu

Litšepe Marabe and Bantu are out for more trophy success

Background: Bantu go into Sunday’s quarterfinal first leg against Sky Battalion having arrived back in the country on Thursday night from a draining CAF Champions League trip to Swaziland. Fatigue, however, is the only worry for A Matšo Matebele in this tie. The Mafeteng giants had the luck of the draw.

Can they do the treble? Bantu have already won the Independence Cup and they head into the LNIG Top 8 as favourites. Their quarterfinal tie is by far the easiest amongst the tournament’s contenders. Bantu’s confidence is also sky-high. Since the start of 2017 Bantu have played 35 matches in all competitions – 28 in the league, three in the 2017 LNIG Top 8, two in the Independence Cup and two in the Champions League.

In those 35 matches A Matšo Matebele have only lost three times – an LNIG Top 8 semi-final loss to Lioli last season (4-2), a league loss to Kick4Life in December (1-0) and the recent 3-1 Champions League defeat to Mbabane Swallows.

With Lioli still adjusting to life under Ramorebodi, Kick4Life and Matlama yet to prove their trophy-winning credentials and LCS inconsistent this season, it is difficult to see which team has the firepower to overcome Bantu.

Prediction: Winners

LDF v LCS

LDF

Background: LDF face LCS looking to avenge last year’s quarterfinal loss to Masheshena.

Sohle-Sohle haven’t won a trophy since the 2008 Buddie Top 4. It is the longest drought in the club’s illustrious history.

Prediction: Quarterfinalists

LCS

Can LCS return to the winners' podium?

Background: LCS suffered the heartbreak of losing to Lioli in the last two LNIG Top 8 finals, 1-0 in 2016 and 4-3 last year. Like their rivals LDF, Masheshena are no longer the juggernaut they once were. LCS haven’t won silverware since the 2011/12 league title. Still, after going so close the last two times, Masheshena will be praying 2018 is finally their year in the LNIG Top 8.

Prediction: Semi-finalists

LNIG Top 8 quarterfinal first legs:

Saturday

Maputsoe DIFA Ground

Lioli v LMPS (13:00)

Matlama v Kick4Life (15:00)

Sunday

LCS Ground

Sky Battalion v Bantu (13:00)

LDF v LCS (15:30)