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“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are.” – Muhammad Ali

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Galaxy win promotion to Econet Premier League

Welcome to the Econet Premier League, Galaxy...

Galaxy will be playing in the Econet Premier League next season after clinching promotion to Lesotho’s top-flight with a 2-1 win over closest rivals Litšilo on Saturday.

The hard-fought away victory in Pitseng gives Galaxy an unassailable five-point lead over second-placed Litšilo with just one round of action to go in the first division’s North Stream.

Only the winner of the stream is guaranteed a ticket to the country’s elite league.

Galaxy’s win caps a winding road of ups and downs since the ambitious club was formed in 2013.

Although the Leribe side were crowned A-Division Top 8 champions in 2016 when they memorably beat Van Rooyen United 3-1 in the final, the past two seasons have ended in heartbreak in their quest to reach the promised land of the Premier League.

Last season Galaxy finished second to Sefotha-fotha. The year before they finished third, just two points behind then-champions Butha-Buthe Warriors.

It has been a long wait and Galaxy’s celebrations lasted long into the night on Saturday after finally seeing off the spirited challenge of Litšilo.

At the other end of the North Stream table Mphatlalatsane, who were relegated from the top-flight in 2016, gave themselves some hope of surviving relegation with a 1-0 win away at Ketane. The win was only Linaleli’s third of the season but, with a three-point gap to ninth-placed Likila United, the St Monica’s side still have a mathematical chance of avoiding the drop.

Only the bottom teams in the North and South streams will go down to the B-Division.

That would be uncharted territory for a Mphatlalatsane side which enjoyed a four-year run between 2007 and 2010 as a top 10 team in the Premier League and hasn’t been outside Lesotho’s top two divisions since 2002.

In the South Stream, Swallows will have to wait a little longer to seal promotion to the top-flight after they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Quthing LMPS. Thanks to the draw, the Mazenod side have a four-point lead over Lithabaneng Golden with two games to go. One more win and Swallows will join Galaxy on the bus to the Econet Premier League.

A-Division Results:
Saturday
North Stream
Ketane 0-1 Mphatlalatsane
Butha-Buthe Warriors 1-0 Lerotholi Polytechnic
Litšilo 1-2 Galaxy
Likila United v Limkokwing University (match not played)

South Stream
Lijabatho 2-1 Roma Boys
Quthing LMPS 1-1 Swallows

Standings:
North Stream


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts.
C
Galaxy
17
11
3
3
26
13
13
36
2
Litšilo
17
9
4
4
23
15
8
31
3
Ketane
17
8
5
4
32
18
14
29
4
Lifofane
16
6
5
5
16
18
-2
23
5
Butha-Buthe Warriors
17
5
6
6
11
17
-6
21
6
Limkokwing University
16
5
5
6
18
19
-1
20
7
CCX
16
5
3
8
23
26
-3
18
8
Lerotholi Polytechnic
17
4
5
8
18
17
1
17
9
Likila United
16
4
5
7
10
22
-12
17
10
Mphatlalatsane
17
3
5
10
15
24
-9
14

South Stream


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts.
1
Swallows
16
10
5
1
26
7
19
35
2
Lithabaneng Golden
16
9
4
3
22
13
9
31
3
Manonyane
17
8
5
4
17
9
8
29
4
Lijabatho
16
7
6
3
23
17
6
27
5
Machokha
16
6
4
6
28
19
9
22
6
Quthing LMPS
16
7
1
8
20
18
2
22
7
Mangau
15
5
5
5
19
19
0
20
8
Roma Boys
17
4
3
10
22
34
-12
15
9
Qoaling Highlanders
17
3
3
11
16
40
-24
12
10
Rovers
16
3
2
11
16
34
-18
5
·         Rovers docked 6 points for late registration

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