Tumelo Khutlang and Lioli reached their lowest point against Matlama |
Lioli suffered their worst defeat in over
a decade on Saturday when they lost 4-1 to rivals Matlama in the Econet Premier
League. The loss plunged Tse Nala to
their lowest depths since Morena Ramorebodi took over as coach at the start of
2018. It has been a difficult start to life in Teyateyaneng for the South
African coach.
Lioli have only won once in their first
six matches under the former Bloemfontein Celtic assistant coach losing three
times and Saturday saw sections of the side’s supporters calling for his head
already. So what has gone wrong for Ramorebodi at Tse Nala?
Too
many changes too quickly…
Morena Ramorebodi arrived amid much
fanfare at the beginning of January and immediately made sweeping changes to
the team. Out went seven players and in came six new faces. Amongst the players
released were key figures in their recent title successes – goalkeeper Mohau
Kuenane, striker Maba Junior and midfielder Motlalepula Mofolo.
In hindsight there were too many changes
too quickly, especially given that they came in the middle of the season with
no preseason to bed the new players in.
On top of it Ramorebodi dabbled with a
new playing system. For example, Lioli used a back three against Matlama (a 0-0
league draw in January) in his first match in charge. It is a formation Tse Nala were using for the first time
this season and they often looked disjointed during the game.
However, the change that has perhaps ruined
the goodwill of Lioli fans the most is the abrupt dumping of Mofolo. Although
his powers were on the wane, the former Lesotho international midfielder remained
a good player for Lioli. Most importantly, Mofolo was one of the club’s most
loved players.
Surely Ramorebodi could have waited until
the end of the season to release the club icon? Now with Lioli struggling the
coach has no good faith call upon; the team is struggling and the fans are angry
over a hero they have lost.
It has been a tough two months for Morena Ramorebodi |
Lack
of reliable firepower…
This was a growing problem for Lioli even
before Ramorebodi arrived. A team with the likes of Tumelo Khutlang, Montoeli
Sonopo and Bushy Moletsane will always create chances. But, frequently the
issue over the past year has been finishing them.
It is why Ramorebodi’s releasing of Cameroonian
striker Maba Junior was baffling. Although not overly prolific, Maba was
Lioli’s top scorer since he joined from Cameroon’s Tonnerre Kalari Club De Yaoundé
in January
2013. In his debut season he scored eight goals in the title run-in to play a
key role in Lioli’s 2012/13 championship winning campaign. Maba was again vital
in Tse Nala’s league successes in 2015
and 2016 with timely goals.
Maba also had the knack of going on
scoring runs where he would find form over a stretch of games. On the other
hand, Tšepo Lekhooana, who is now the preferred striking choice, has never been
a prolific goalscorer.
New South African striker Josef Lekata
is also still getting used to the league and, as a result, two of Lioli’s three
goals under Ramorebodi have come from a defender (Kopano Tseka) and a winger (Montoeli
Sonopo). The other was scored by Lekata.
Maba’s departure was part of a recent
and serious Lioli striker drain. Last year Likuena internationals Nkoto Masoabi
and Thapelo Tale were allowed to leave. Masoabi has since been a revelation for
Kick4Life helping them into the top four last season and he currently has nine league
goals to sit second in the golden boot race.
Perhaps most crucially, Lioli were not able
to adequately replace offensive fulcrum Tšepo Seturumane when he joined LMPS at
the start of the season. The lack of firepower has hamstrung Ramorebodi’s plans.
Lioli under Ramorebodi
|
|||||
14/01/18
|
League
|
Matlama
|
0-0
|
Lioli
|
D
|
04/02/18
|
League
|
Lioli
|
0-1
|
LDF
|
L
|
10/02/18
|
League
|
Kick4Life
|
1-1
|
Lioli
|
D
|
18/02/18
|
League
|
Majantja
|
0-1
|
Lioli
|
W
|
24/02/18
|
LNIG Top 8
|
Lioli
|
0-1
|
LMPS
|
L
|
03/03/18
|
League
|
Lioli
|
1-4
|
Matlama
|
L
|
Loss
of form of top players…
Key midfielder Tšoanelo Koetle has not
been at his best in recent months and it has affected Lioli. The Likuena star
is embroiled in a seemingly unending doping case after refusing to take a drugs
test last November (a long story in itself).
Tšoanelo Koetle (left) has not been at his best... |
His case is in the High Court and has
been a distraction on the field. However, Koetle is not the only key Lioli
player struggling for top form. The once reliable backline lead by Kopano Tseka
and Mafa Moremoholo, for example, shipped four error-filled goals against
Matlama and has only managed one cleansheet in six games in 2018.
Taking
over a mess…
When Malemakale Mahlaha quit as Lioli
coach in October he claimed there was player power at Tse Nala which made his job impossible. It is something club management
strongly denied. Whatever the truth, the vibe has not been as vibrant around
Lioli this season. This was a problem Ramorebodi inherited which has made his
job doubly difficult.
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