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| Bantu... Title favourites? |
The Vodacom Premier League finally kicked off this weekend after months
of waiting.
This 2012/13 season has the potential to be the most
intriguing in recent memory with several teams holding realistic hopes of claiming
Lesotho’s
top football prize.
One of these contenders is Lioli and they got the ball
rolling with a fine win over LMPS on Saturday. It was a consummate display by Tse Nala that saw youth product Tšepo
Seturumane grab both goals in a 2-0 win for the 2009 champions over their
hoodoo team.
Nine-time champions Matlama also got their season off
to winning start with a 2-0 victory over Qoaling Highlanders on Sunday. The match
was played at the LCS Stadium not in Qoaling. The inability to consistently use
their home ground could turn out to be a serious impediment for newly-promoted Highlanders
this season. Qoaling has been a fortress crucial to a meteoric rise that has
seen Wright Mofoka’s team achieve two promotions in the past three years.
For Tse Putsoa
it was needed tonic after a pre-season of uncertainty. Matlama sold established
stars Dlhomo Monapathi, Thapelo Mokhehle (both to Bantu), Hlomelang Theko, Tšeliso
Ramathe (to Highlanders) and Pali Tšalong (to Linare) during the off-season
raising doubts over their credentials.
Also on Sunday, defending champions LCS were held to a
2-2 draw by a plucky Joy side in Hlotse. Masheshena
have had troubles on their travels in recent seasons and last season only won
three of their 11 games away from home. Indeed LCS’s 20111/12 championship
triumph was largely down to their spectacular home record which saw them collect
30 points from a possible 33.
Elsewhere, perennial contenders LDF brushed aside
Mpharane Celtic 3-0. Sohle-Sohle have
finished second to LCS in the past two seasons and in the top three in each of
the last seven seasons. However, LDF are without a title victory since 2004 and
are desperate to break that duck this term.
In Hlotse, Likhopo overcame Linare 2-0 in a clash of
two teams harbouring title ambitions. Two-time champions Likhopo have been the
story of the pre-season thanks their million maloti sponsorship with the
Matekane Group of Companies. Linare have made waves themselves with the signing
of Tšalong from Matlama for a record M12 500, a sign of their intent.
The team that everybody is watching this season though
is Bantu and they got off to a comfortable enough start with a 2-0 win over
newly-promoted Nyenye Rovers in Maputsoe. A
Matšo Matebele have been touted by many as the favourites for the title
after a pre-season that has seen them sign a host of stars including a
M20 000 deal for Mokhehle and Monapathi and the capture of Litšepe Marabe
from Botswana’s Flamengo Santos. Bantu have also added recently retired Lesotho legend
Lehlohonolo Seema to their technical team.
Opening weekend
results
Saturday, 8 September
Lioli 2-0 LMPS
Sunday, 9 September
Mpharane Celtic 0-3 LDF, Joy 2-2 LCS, Linare 0-2 Likhopo, Nyenye Rovers 0-2 Bantu, Qoaling
Highlanders 0-2 Matlama
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