BBH and Khubestate square off, one local rider for Roof of Africa

NBL all weekend...

2015 champions Bashana Baheso will face Khubestate this evening at the Lehakoe Club in this week’s Friday night National Basketball League fixture.

The teams go into the clash in contrasting form but in equal need of the win.

BBH are the favourites.

The Tšepo Makhupane coached team is on a four-game winning streak, the second best run in the NBL A-Division after runaway log leaders Bokamoso South.

It has been a solid turnaround for BBH who battled injuries and poor form at the start of the 2016/17 campaign.

BBH began their league season with defeat to Bokamoso South in September and then went on to lose three of four games at last month’s Sprite Memorial Independence Tournament.

However, BBH have steadily gained momentum and they beat reigning champions and arch-rivals KTA All Stars 58-50 in their last outing. Their upturn in form sees BBH third on the table, equal on points with second-placed Lichocha Shooting Rifles. Both sides are five points behind Bokamoso South but both have two games in hand and a win this evening would keep BBH in the hunt for first place.

Khubestate, on the other hand, are ninth in the 11 team league and have won just twice in seven games. However, even with their disappointing run, a win this evening would bring Khubestate back into contention for a playoff spot. Khubestate have eight points and victory over BBH would lift them to ten points, one point behind fourth placed NUL Rovers. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs.

The encounter between BBH and Khubestate is part of a potentially busy weekend of NBL action.

Last week rain wreaked havoc on the NBL schedule with several games washed out. Weather permitting, there will be a full line-up of matches this weekend. The games will be played at the National University of Lesotho. In total there will be 15 Ladies league and A-Division games over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

Roof of Africa... Lesotho riders

In other sports, organisers of the Roof of Africa have voiced their displeasure at the fact only one Lesotho rider has registered for this year’s race. The off-road motorbike showpiece is set to run from the 1st to the 3rd of December but despite offering free entry for local riders, only Joseph Motenane has confirmed his involvement.

The development is part of a worrying yearly decline in the participation of local riders. Last year only four Lesotho riders took part in the race.

Organisers have said they are reserving places for any locals who may show interest in entering before the Roof of Africa starts. The last time a Lesotho rider won the Roof of Africa was Patrick Andrews in 1992.

Finally, there will be action for cricket and rugby fans to enjoy this weekend.

In cricket, fans will be treated to a derby between Lerotholi Polytechnic and NUL Vampires on Saturday. Lerotholi are the form side having beaten Linare by four wickets last weekend.

Finally, in rugby, national champions Mabote Beavers will battle NUL Spears in Roma on Saturday. Beavers go into the game with the psychological edge having won the last two meetings between the teams.

MSC Shorts: Van Rooyen United and Galaxy meet for Top 8 glory, Bantu release nine

Ready for glory... Van Rooyen United

First division sides Van Rooyen United and Galaxy meet in the final of the A-Division Top 8 this afternoon. The match will be played at the Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena and will feature two surprise finalists.

Neither Van Rooyen United nor Galaxy gained promotion to the Vodacom Premier League this past season with that honour going to Butha-Buthe Warriors and Sky Battalion.

Van Rooyen and Galaxy, nevertheless, have the chance to pick up the consolation bonus of ending the campaign with a trophy and the A-Division Top 8’s M8000 first prize. The game kicks off at 14:00. Before the final, premiership bound Sky Battalion will face Manonyane in the third-place playoff at 12:00. Entrance will be M10 for adults and M5 for children.

Elsewhere, Lesotho’s Under-20 side finalise preparations today ahead of their 2017 CAF African Under-20 Championship second leg qualifier against Mozambique on Sunday. The Makoanyane XI go into the game standing a good chance of progressing after a valuable 1-1 draw in the first leg in Maputo two weeks ago.

If Motlalepula Mofolo’s charges are victorious on Sunday at Setsoto Stadium, they will meet either South Africa or Namibia to decide who qualifies for the African Under-20 Championship in Zambia next year.

The Makoanyane XI will be looking to advance tomorrow

Meanwhile, in the Under-17 side, former Likuena internationals Shalane Lehohla and Lekunutu Tšoeunyane have joined the coaching staff. Lehohla will assist head coach Halemakale Mahlaha while Tšoeunyane has been appointed as the new goalkeepers coach.

To women’s football, and this afternoon sees a potential humdinger between Lesotho’s top two women’s sides – LDF and Kick4Life. The much-anticipated Lesotho Women Super League clash will take place at Ratjomose at 15:00. There will be some bad blood. Reigning champions LDF beat Kick4Life on goal difference on the final day of last season to win the title. And, the two rivals are leading the pack once again this season.

To the men’s premiership and Vodacom Premier League giants Bantu have confirmed they have transfer-listed nine players as they continue their end of season overhaul after a disappointing 2015/16 campaign. Last week the Mafeteng side fired coach Bafokeng Mohapi. This week A Matšo Matebele have sent Katleho Moleko, Thabiso Mohapi, Isaiah Mosala, Thato Mabitle, Ossala Sorrel, Dulang Nthotsela, Keketso Lichaba, Tšoloane Mosakeng, and Tšoeu Mosollo packing.

Finally, in the National Basketball League, the champions in the A, development and ladies leagues could all be decided today. Today is Game 3 of the leagues’ respective NBL Finals and all ties see one side a win away from clinching the best-of-three series.

In the development league, Bokamoso South leads their series 2-0 against Buffalos while Lichocha Shooting Rifles leads Bashana Ba Heso by the same margin in the ladies league.

And, in the A-League, favourites KTA All Stars will be crowned Lesotho’s basketball kings for the second time in three years if they beat surprise finalists Bokamoso South. KTA hold a 2-0 series lead and dominated the first two games, 80-71 and 82-52.

Draw for 2016 Swaziland International Basketball Tournament complete

The stage is set...

The draw for the 2016 Swaziland Invitational International Basketball Tournament has been made. The three-day championship will see the best basketball teams from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe going head-to-head.

It will feature three men’s teams from Lesotho (Bashana Ba Heso, KTA All Stars, Lichocha Shooting Rifles) and three women’s teams (KTA, Lichocha and the National University of Lesotho).

The tournament starts on June 24.

Full Draw:

MEN

Pool A

1. Jozi Nuggets – South Africa

2. Harare City Hornets – Zimbabwe

3. Mbabane Raptors – Swaziland

4. Bashana Ba Heso (BBH) – Lesotho

5. Botswana Police – Botswana

Pool B

1. JBC – Zimbabwe

2. MBB – South Africa

3. KTA All Stars – Lesotho

4. Imbumbe – Swaziland

5. Luyengo Pacers – Swaziland

Pool C

1. Cameo – Zimbabwe

2. Craques da Boca – Mozambique

3. Manzini Superstars – Swaziland

4. Lichocha Shooting Rifles – Lesotho

5. Central Knights – Malawi

Pool D

1. Dolphins – Botswana

2. Unam Rebels – Namibia

3. Mutarara – Mozambique

4. Jazz – Swaziland

5. Hustlers – Zimbabwe

WOMEN

Pool A

1. V and J – South Africa

2. JBC – Zimbabwe

3. Lichocha Shooting Rifles – Lesotho

4. Batonificadas – Mozambique

Pool B

1. Vixens – Zimbabwe

2. University of Namibia Sparks

3. Botswana Police – Botswana

4. National University of Lesotho

Pool C

1. Greenstars – Zimbabwe

2. Dolphins – Botswana

3. Jazz – Swaziland

4. Amazons – South Africa

Pool D

1. Biwas – Mozambique

2. Hustlers – Zimbabwe

3. Superladies – Swaziland

4. KTA All Stars - Lesotho

Q&A with Bashana Ba Heso coach Tšepo Makhupane

Last season Tšepo Makhupane guided Bashana Ba Heso (BBH) to a thrilling National Basketball League (NBL) title as they beat rivals KTA All Stars on the last play of the fifth and final game of last year’s Finals.

NBL champions, BBH

12 months on, Makhupane and BBH are out to defend their crown with the NBL playoffs tipping off this weekend at the Lehakoe Centre.

Thanks to a 57-42 loss to Lichocha Shooting Rifles in the final round of the regular season, BBH go into the playoffs as the second seeds and, therefore, have to face their old foes KTA All Stars once again.

In the other playoff semi, league toppers Lichocha will meet fourth seeds and outsiders Bokamoso South. The winners of the respective best-of-three semi-final series will advance to next month’s best-of-five NBL finals.

Are BBH primed to win back-to-back championships? Can they see off their bitter rivals once more? The MolapoSportsCentre chatted briefly with Makhupane ahead of the much-anticipated start of the NBL playoffs.

You face KTA All Stars in a repeat of last year’s NBL finals. What are your thoughts on the matchup?

Tšepo Makhupane:  I expect it to be a very physical and intense match as both BBH and KTA want to defend and reclaim the championship respectively. These are still the biggest teams in the country even though they failed to clinch the top seed.

Are you disappointed at missing out on the top seed and having to play KTA in the playoffs semi-finals instead of Bokamoso South?

Makhupane: It would have been fun to play KTA in the final than playing them in the first round, especially for the marketability of our basketball association. But whichever teams make it to the finals, it will be a good show.

Are BBH favourites for the series against KTA, given that you are defending champions and won the last meeting between the teams in regular season?

Makhupane: I wouldn’t say we are. I still think KTA has the best roster, given their height, skill and experience. So, I would say they are the favourites. At this stage, the regular season means nothing. Last season KTA beat us twice in the regular season, but we won the championship. The season before that we were undefeated in the regular season up until we lost to KTA in the playoff finals.

Do you feel you are heading into the playoffs in peak form or do you feel the team can still improve?

Makhupane: There is always room for improvement, and I do think there are some things we need to work on, but because there is no time we will have to fix them as we go.

Are there any players from KTA you feel you will have to stop in order to win the series?

Makhupane: As I said, they are the best team in my eyes, but there are players like Bokang, Teboho (PG), Molale, and you can’t forget their big guys Teboho and Oscar. You can’t really stop those guys, you can simply try hold them down to as minimal points as possible.

Does playing KTA give added motivation given the rivalry or this is just another game to win on the way to the Finals?

Makhupane: I wouldn't say they give us added motivation, but it’s definitely not just another game. I think for our team, the failure to get the top seed is motivation enough, even though what really matters is the championship, not the top seed.

Do you feel you can go all the way again and win the NBL title?

Makhupane: Most definitely. We have a group of guys that are relatively young and experienced. When these guys are hungry and motivated I believe they beat anybody, any day.

What is the toughest part of coaching in the playoffs?

Makhupane: I’d say the toughest part of coaching generally, but maybe especially in the playoffs, is keeping the team hungry and motivated, especially when we’re not playing well. Players that are hungry and motivated are the easiest ones to coach.