Bantu in pole position

Almost there...
Bantu fans in full cry

Two consecutive draws have rarely felt so good for Bantu, and with five games remaining, A Matšo Matebele have the destiny of the Vodacom Premier League in their own hands. It’s no wonder, then, confidence is soaring in Mafeteng as its heroes seek to clinch a first-ever league title.

On Sunday Bantu were held to a 1-1 draw by LMPS – perhaps a disappointing result – but it didn’t matter as second-placed Lioli only managed a goalless draw against Matlama. So, Bantu still lead Lioli by a point, with a game in hand.

Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate was Lioli’s third draw in a row and they seem to be losing their scoring boots at just the wrong time.

Indeed, it is Lioli’s scoring form more than anything else which makes Bantu favourites in the run-in.

Ordinarily Tse Nala would expect to win their remaining four matches which include three ties against relegation-threatened sides. However, a lack of goals makes their run-in more uncertain than it should be. Lioli have now scored just once in their last four games in a season that has yielded only 21 goals in 18 games. More worrying, Tšepo Seturumane has scored 13 of those goals.

This reliance on Seturumane has been apparent in recent outings and Lioli’s run-in begins with a tough test against a resurgent Likhopo side this Sunday. From there Lioli face three of the bottom five sides – Joy, Mpharane Celtic and Nyenye Rovers.

Bantu’s schedule looks much more daunting. A Matšo Matebele face LDF (away), LCS (home) and Linare (away) before ending the season hosting Qoaling Highlanders at the Leshoboro Seeiso Stadium. Bantu will also have a tie against Matlama, originally postponed in February due to Matlama’s suspension, thrown somewhere in the mix.

Nevertheless, leading by a point and with a game in hand, Bantu remain in pole position for the championship.

Unlike rivals Lioli, Bantu have managed to find various ways of scoring. At this stage of the season that could be the difference.

Bantu’s remaining fixtures

20 April LDF v Bantu (Ratjomose, 15:00)

4 May Bantu v LCS (Mafeteng, 15:00)

11 May Linare v Bantu (Hlotse, 15:00)

18 May Bantu v Qoaling Highlanders (Mafeteng, 15:00)

(Matlama v Bantu still to be re-scheduled)

Lioli’s remaining fixtures

21 April Likhopo v Lioli (Ratjomose, 15:00)

4 May Lioli v Joy (Lioli Stadium, 15:00)

12 May Mpharane Celtic v Lioli (St Michaels, 15:00)

18 May Lioli v Nyenye Rovers (Lioli Stadium, 15:00)

Costly draw for Lioli, valuable point for Matlama

There’s little doubt now the title race is a two-horse race, regardless of LDF’s come-from-behind win over Qoaling Highlanders on Sunday.

Even with their solid 2-1 triumph, Sohle-Sohle are nine points behind leaders Bantu, eight behind Lioli, and need a minor miracle to claim their first league title since 2004.

Things are equally bleak for two-time defending champions LCS. Masheshena are in fifth place with 24 points and will officially surrender their title this weekend if they fail to beat Qoaling Highlanders.

The league’s form team, meanwhile, is Likhopo who won their third straight game (3-1 over Mpharane Celtic on Saturday) to leapfrog Linare into sixth place. Linare are seventh with Joy in eighth.

From Joy downwards it looks like a relegation battle. Joy have games in hand on the rest of the pack and should survive, but it’s not yet a certainty.

Celtic are on a dismal run of form and have conceded an eye-watering 42 goals in 18 matches while Highlanders’ defeat to LDF means they are just four points above the drop zone, currently occupied by Matlama and Nyenye Rovers.

11th-placed Matlama resumed their league campaign last weekend after their disciplinary case was settled and have since claimed two morale-boosting draws. Tse Putsoa have 12 points from 12 games but have six games in hand on Celtic directly above them and five on Highlanders in ninth place.

Tse Putsoa, therefore, will still fancy themselves to get out of relegation trouble. 

Things don’t look so good for bottom of the table Nyenye Rovers, though. They look destined for a quick return to the A-Division.

Results
Saturday, 13 April

LCS 0-0 Linare

Mpharane Celtic 1-3 Likhopo

Lioli 0-0 Matlama

Sunday, 14 April

Joy 0-0 Nyenye Rovers

Qoaling Highlanders 1-2 LDF

Bantu 1-1 LMPS

Vodacom Premier League

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Bantu	17	11	4	2	32	15	17	37
2	Lioli	18	10	6	2	21	8	13	36
3	LDF	16	7	7	2	21	11	10	28
4	LMPS	18	7	4	7	13	12	1	25
5	LCS	16	6	6	4	13	11	2	24
6	Likhopo	17	7	2	8	16	16	0	23
7	Linare	17	5	6	6	18	14	4	21
8	Joy	15	4	5	6	19	24	-5	17
9	Qoaling Highlanders	17	4	4	9	14	23	-8	16
10	Mpharane Celtic	18	3	6	9	24	42	-18	14
11	Matlama	12	3	3	6	12	16	-4	12
12	Nyenye Rovers	17	1	9	8	10	22	-12	12

Carmelo Anthony is catching fire

Carmelo Anthony is catching fire at just the right time and it sends out a clear message – the Miami Heat may have a challenger in the East after all.

Carmelo Anthony is catching fire

All the rhetoric lately has been of how there’s no team that can stand in the way of the Heat’s march to a third successive NBA Finals.

The New York Knicks, though, are on an 11-game win streak inspired by three straight performances of 40 or more points from Anthony – against the Heat, the Hawks and the Bucks.

It’s the fifth time in franchise history the Knicks have won 11 straight games. In three of the previous four occasions they went on to reach the NBA Finals, winning it all twice. That’s not to say it will happen again but the Knicks have certainly put forward a strong case this season.

For one, the Knicks have a 3-1 record over the Heat this season, even if in one of the wins the Heat were without superstars LeBron James and Dywane Wade.

Still, it’s a winning record and in those three victories they have shown the template of how they can trouble the Heat if the two meet in the post-season.

By then the Knicks will most likely have a fully-fit Tyson Chandler, the Heat’s kryptonite in the 2011 Finals while at the Dallas Mavericks with his stifling defence, power and size. On the outside the Knicks have J.R. Smith who can knock down three-pointers as well as Steve Novak, another pin-point shooter who can get hot.

The experience point-guard play of Jason Kidd, another star from Dallas’ 2011 Finals win over the Heat, could become more important in the post-season. As we know, the playoffs are a completely different ball-game to the regular season – more half-court basketball, where superior game management and experience are crucial.

There’s a theme somewhere here; the Knicks are built much like the 2011 NBA champion Mavericks. They have a relentless scoring machine, a defensive anchor in Chandler that’s as good as any in the league, multiple three-point shooters on the perimeter, and of course Jason Kidd stabilising it all behind the scenes.

Finally, there’s Anthony’s motivation – a supreme scorer and genuine superstar now looking for a ring to validate his undoubted greatness.

The Heat aren’t invincible

As last week’s streak ending loss to the Chicago Bulls showed, the Heat are not invincible. The defending champions lack a low-post presence and this weakness has been shown up numerous times this season, especially against the best sides.

Miami's Big Three

This shortcoming puts pressure on LeBron James to carry the team which he did last year. But it’s a very tough ask.

The Heat’s outside three-point shooters such as Shane Battier and Ray Allen make them a nightmare, which is why you would still peg Miami as favourites. Still, relying so heavily on the three-point shot is more of a gamble in playoff basketball. If the Heat’s shooters go cold there’s no go-to-guy in the post who can relive pressure on driving players such as James and Wade.

It’s a known fact that the Heat are one of the league’s smaller sides which has led to Miami often being overrun on the glass. The Heat rank highly in almost every statistical category, but in rebounds they rank 30th in the league.

With their supreme talent, the Heat have been able to overcome this weakness often. However, it has cost Miami against the league’s better teams, as seen in the Heat’s losses to the Bulls, the Pacers and the Knicks.

At this point, with the roster the way it is, it is not a problem that can be fixed easily. And unfortunately, more than any other weakness, the Heat’s rebounding woes can seriously derail their championship plans.

The Lakers could challenge the Spurs, if they meet

Another on-going storyline has been how impressive the San Antonio Spurs are. They have led the West for the majority of the season and looked on course to comfortably seal the coveted top seed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now pushing the Spurs harder than ever and look to be finishing stronger. Nevertheless, the Spurs remain first in the West, and if things finish the way they are the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will play San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs.

Many have said this would be a comfortable series win for the Spurs, but I beg to disagree. Firstly, the ageing Spurs are again showing they struggle with injuries as the season progresses. Secondly, Dwight Howard is the one player who can compete with Tim Duncan in the post and keep him honest to a degree.

The Lakers have their injuries problems as well, but Kobe Bryant is playing at an elite level and expect Steve Nash to be more important when the playoffs arrive. At the end of the day the Lakers are built for the grind-it-out style of the postseason, and in Bryant they have a proven game-winner.

Still got it...
Kobe Bryant

The Thunder are deadly

The Thunder are back again and they are finding their groove at just the right time. The Thunder have won six of their last seven games.

Led by the league’s top scorer, Kevin Durant, they possess an explosive team that will be better with the experience of last year’s Finals.

It’s definitely far from a forgone conclusion that the Heat will win the 2013 NBA title. Miami may be the best team, with the game’s finest player, but there are some teams with the tools to dethrone them. The Thunder are one.

Who will win the Uefa Champions League?

By Bereng Molapo

Finally, we are at the quarter-final stage of Europe’s elite club competition: the Uefa Champions League, starring PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Malaga. This is interesting.

The Favourites

"Statistically the greatest footballer ever."
Barcelona's Lionel Messi

Barcelona

Most people would bet their bottom dollar on this team, they possess World Cup winners and statistically the greatest footballer ever. Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2011 and many were shocked they didn’t make it to the final last year. After a promising start to this season’s competition Barca stumbled slightly against AC Milan in the last 16, losing 2-0 in Italy before overturning the deficit to win 4-2 on aggregate. The Catalan Kings face PSG in the last eight and it will be a cracker.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid would be the bookies choice to win if Barca fail. Just like Barca, they possess World Cup winners and the world’s second greatest player in Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo earlier in the season complained that he was unhappy. He seems to have got his act together and Madrid will seek that elusive 10th Champions League title, but first Galatasaray.

Bayern Munich

A team that is looking to revive the Beckenbauer glory days, Bayern are always a side the world expects to win and with the Bundesliga in the bag many feel this is their year. Having come agonisingly close last year (Bayern lost the Champions League on penalties to Chelsea in their own stadium) the Bavarian giants will feel they have a point to prove, and what better way to start than beating Juventus.

Not so far behind

Borussia Dortmund

A team I have a ton of respect for; they broke the Bayern code by winning the Bundesliga two years running. Let’s not forget Dortmund won the Champions League in 1997 and they have seemingly resurrected into a genuine threat, so don’t count this team out.

Juventus

There is no other team with a bigger point to prove in this competition than Juventus. Back in 2006 it was discovered that Juve fixed some of their matches en route to the league title and consequently were demoted to Serie B (Italy’s second division). Six years on they went undefeated en route to winning their first league title since that scandal and also cost reigning champions Chelsea their place in the last 16. But are they back to being that powerful side that marched to Champions League semi-finals and finals?

New Money
PSG's superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham

Paris Saint Germain

The French team were taken over by Qatar investors in 2011 and their mission was simple: create a dominant squad. It started with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Ezequiel Lavezzi and now David Beckham, but even with all this firepower will they beat the likes of Barcelona and Bayern? A good example is Manchester City, like PSG money is not an issue but City failed to qualify for the last 16. However, PSG deserve credit for making it this far after a long hiatus from Champions League football and Barcelona is the perfect platform for them to prove they are the real deal.

Fairytale season

Galatasaray

The Turkish team have an array of home grown talent and previous Champions League winners, but there’s one thing they lack: experience at this stage. Drawn against Real Madrid, it is going to be hard for them but remember this is football, a sport that has had its fair share of massive upsets.

Malaga

I honestly didn’t think Malaga would be here but they proved through belief and passion they could get here. However, will their belief and passion count for nothing against the German champions, Borussia Dortmund? Dortmund might not have reached this stage in a long time but their current squad has tasted success whereas Malaga have not sniffed such late stages of European competitions before. Is this a bridge too far? 

1 April 2013