Quote of the week

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

Friday, April 1, 2016

Vodacom Premier League Preview: Pivotal Weekend Ahead

After a two-week international break the Vodacom Premier League is back. The league now enters its final stretch and this weekend sees a key round of action. Here’s a look at three interesting clashes on the menu.

Bantu v LCS (Sunday, 15:00, LCS Stadium)
Bantu need Litšepe Marabe (left) to fire
Bantu have decided to move their match against LCS to the LCS Stadium in Maseru which is peculiar because now A Matšo Matebele are playing this vital game at the home of their opponents. This is very weird.

It’s even weirder because Bantu are struggling with their woes only being masked by their recent LNIG Top 8 quarterfinal win over Likila United.

On closer inspection, Bantu have only won five matches in all competitions since the start of the year, and three of those wins have come against Likila – one in the league and two in the sides’ two-legged LNIG Top 8 meeting.

The other two wins for Bantu in 2016 are in the league against Mphatlalatsane, who are bottom, and Likhopo, who are falling. Still, no matter their form, Bantu have to find a way to win against LCS.

With 29 points, Bantu trail fourth-placed Sandawana by four points. The Mafeteng side simply can’t afford more slip-ups if they want to defend their Independence (Top 4) Cup next season.

Bantu’s last five games (most recent first):
Lioli 0-0 Bantu
Bantu 1-0 Likhopo
Bantu 0-0 Rovers
Bantu 0-0 Liphakoe
Bantu 0-1 LMPS

Despite the fact third-placed LCS have collected 14 more points than Bantu, this match is difficult to call because it remains to be seen how Masheshena will react after their crushing loss to Lioli last time out.

Do LCS still believe they can win the title? Will they be up for this game? Or will they suffer a Lioli hangover?

The answers to those questions are very important because, at the moment, LCS are clearly the better team. Before losing to Lioli, Masheshena had gone on a seven-match winning streak. They are still a work in progress, of course, and are not the all-conquering Masheshena of old.

But, under rookie coach Mpitsa Marai, who captained those all-conquering Masheshena sides, LCS are beginning to show a similar efficiency. Marai is building steadily and next season this could be a title-winning team.

They could still do it this year, of course. Masheshena are only four points behind Lioli. If they do believe they can still win the league, if they come out with intent against Bantu, they should win.

Prediction: Bantu 0-1 LCS

Mphatlalatsane v Matlama (Saturday, 15:00, St Monica’s)
Matlama need to three points
On paper, this would appear the easiest game to call of the weekend. Mphatlalatsane have been bad for the majority of the season, but instead of improving they are getting worse. Now they are terrible.

Linaleli have lost their last three games with a combined score of 11-2 and, thanks to that form, Mphatlalatsane anchor the league with 12 points.

Mphatlalatsane’s last three games
LCS 2-0 Mphatlalatsane
Mphatlalatsane 1-6 Lioli
Kick4Life 3-1 Mphatlalatsane

Mphatlalatsane are not as bad as Qoaling Highlanders were last season or the legendary Sekamaneng Young Stars, but recently they have reminded of those two famous luminaries.

Lowest points totals since 2008/09
Season
Team
Games
Points
Average points per game
2008/09
Sekamaneng Young Stars
30
8
0.27
2009/10
Butha-Buthe Roses              
30
10
0.30
2010/11
Mabeoana
26
9
0.35
2013/14
Melele
26
12
0.46
2013/14
Joy
26
10
0.38
2014/15
Qoaling Highlanders
26
9
0.35
2015/16
Mphatlalatsane
20
12
0.60
* In 2008/09 and 2009/10 there were 16 teams in the Premier League

If Mphatlalatsane don’t want to follow the same route as Young Stars and Highlanders then they have to beat Matlama. Because, even with their wretched form, Mphatlalatsane still have a chance to survive. They are only six points from safety.

Matlama, on the other hand, know what they have to do – win. Tse Putsoa got a taste of the top of the league three weeks and they surely liked it. Champions Lioli are back on top but, if Matlama beat Mphatlalatsane, they will leapfrog into first and put the pressure on Lioli who play on Sunday against Likhopo.

2015/16 Home Record


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
Pts
1
Lioli
10
6
4
0
12
1
22
2
Matlama
9
6
2
1
17
9
20
3
LCS
9
6
1
2
10
5
19
4
Likhopo
11
4
5
2
10
6
17
5
LDF
10
4
4
2
9
7
16
6
Bantu United
11
4
3
4
10
7
15
7
Sandawana
10
4
2
4
7
7
14
8
Kick4Life
10
2
6
2
9
10
12
9
Linare
12
3
3
6
15
16
12
10
Liphakoe
10
1
5
4
5
9
8
11
Likila United
9
2
2
5
6
11
8
12
LMPS
10
1
4
5
7
12
7
13
Rovers
9
2
0
7
5
13
6
14
Mphatlalatsane
10
1
2
7
12
30
5

2015/16 Away Record


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
Pts
1
Matlama
11
7
2
2
17
10
23
2
Lioli
10
7
2
1
19
7
23
3
LCS
11
6
4
1
12
3
22
4
Sandawana 
10
6
1
3
13
12
19
5
Kick4Life
10
4
3
3
7
7
15
6
Bantu United
9
4
2
3
8
4
14
7
Liphakoe 
10
3
4
3
9
10
13
8
Likila United
11
3
3
5
9
15
12
9
Rovers
11
2
5
4
8
12
11
10
Likhopo
9
3
2
4
12
10
11
11
LMPS
10
2
5
3
10
13
11
12
LDF
10
2
4
4
11
11
10
13
Mphatlalatsane
10
1
4
5
4
10
7
14
Linare
8
1
2
5
4
10
5

Lastly, Matlama will look at the home and away tables above and they will do the math. Mphatlalatsane are the worst team at home this season, Tse Putsoa are the best away from home. Simply put, Matlama, on paper, have to win. But, football isn’t played on paper and Mphatlalatsane have shocked Matlama in the past. This should be interesting.

Prediction: Mphatlalatsane 1-3 Matlama

Kick4Life v LDF (Sunday, 13:30, LCS Stadium)
LDF need their talisman Molefe Lekoekoe (right)
Kick4Life still have a chance of a top four place, and although it’s very much an outside chance, the form of the sides above them makes it a chance nonetheless. Kick4Life have 27 points, six points behind firth-placed Sandawana with six games to go.

What do they have going for them? Under Leslie Notši they have become tough to beat. Since his arrival as coach last November, Kick4Life have won four of nine games and collected 15 points. Critically, they have been more consistent than the sides above them and consistency counts at this stage of the season.

Since Notši took charge

Games played
Points collected
Sandawana
9
12
Bantu
11
12
Likhopo
11
10
Kick4Life
9
15

If Kick4Life have a chance of securing a top four spot then so do LDF as they are only a point behind Kick4Life. Even more heartening for them is that, on paper, LDF have the most manageable finish to the season of all the sides chasing the top four.

LDF’s remaining fixtures
Kick4Life v LDF (LCS)
LDF v Sandawana (1Ratjomose)
Likila United v LDF (Butha-Buthe)
LDF v LMPS (Ratjomose)
Liphakoe v LDF (Quthing)
LDF v Bantu (Ratjomose)

After Kick4Life, Sohle-Sohle host Sandawana. So, LDF could conceivably be within touching distance of Sandawana two weeks from now, and then have games against the relegation threatened trio of Likila, LMPS and Liphakoe to follow. That is deal most people would take in a heartbeat.

Motheo Mohapi’s charges have to first handle business against Kick4Life and this will be helped by this encounter being at LCS Stadium.

LDF’s away record is dreadful. In fact, only the struggling Leribe cousins – Linare and Mphatlalatsane – have been worse away from home. But, thankfully for them, this game is on a neutral ground.

The conclusion to this story? There will be plenty to play for when Kick4Life and LDF meet.

In fact, this may turn out to be the most tightly contested game of the weekend between two well-drilled sides.

Prediction: Kick4Life 1-1 LDF

Weekend Fixtures:
Saturday
Bantu v LCS (15:00, LCS Stadium)
Mphatlalatsane v Matlama (15:00, St Monica’s)
Sandawana v LMPS (15:00, Butha-Buthe)
Liphakoe v Linare (15:00, Quthing)
Sunday
Rovers v Likila United (15:00, Roma)
Kick4Life v LDF (13:30, LCS)
Likhopo v Lioli (15:30, LCS)

Vodacom Premier League Table


P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts.
1
Lioli
20
13
6
1
31
8
23
45
2
Matlama
20
13
4
3
34
19
15
43
3
LCS
20
12
5
3
22
8
14
41
4
Sandawana
20
10
3
7
20
19
1
33
5
Bantu
20
8
5
7
18
11
7
29
6
Likhopo
20
7
7
6
22
16
6
28
7
Kick4Life
20
6
9
5
16
17
-1
27
8
LDF
20
6
8
6
20
18
2
26
9
Liphakoe
20
4
9
7
14
19
-5
21
10
Likila United
20
5
5
10
15
26
-11
20
11
LMPS
20
3
9
8
17
25
-8
18
12
Linare
20
4
5
11
19
26
-7
17
13
Rovers
20
4
5
11
13
25
-12
17
14
Mphatlalatsane
20
2
6
12
16
40
-24
12

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