First half blitz gives Bantu the Vodacom Premier League title

Celebration time... Bantu are the 2016/17 champions of Lesotho

Bantu are the 2016/17 Vodacom Premier League champions after they used a first half blitz to thump Kick4Life 3-0 at the Maputsoe DiFA Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The win was enough to secure A Matšo Matebele the title ahead of Lioli. The Mafeteng giants finished with 62 points to Tse Nala’s 60.

Bantu had gone into their season finale knowing they needed a win to seal the championship but unsure of the challenge they would face from Kick4Life. Kick4Life had already secured a top four place and had only won once in six games heading into today’s game. However, Leslie Notši’s charges had also inflicted one of the two defeats Bantu suffered this season.

Nonetheless, A Matšo Matebele, backed by massive travelling support in Maputsoe, were inspired.

James Madidilane’s side were aggressive from the first whistle and immediately overwhelmed Kick4Life. And, the yellow and black clad throng of Bantu fans didn’t have to wait long to celebrate a goal.

In the ninth minute in-form striker Lazola Tjokotjokwana put Bantu ahead with a fine header to send the crowd into rapture and ease nerves.

Bantu didn’t ease their relentless pressure, however. And, they were rewarded when another of the side’s stars this season, Litšepe Marabe, made it 2-0 in the 34th minute.

Six minutes later it was 3-0 as player of the season contender Hlompho Kalake scored his 11th league goal of the season, making him the league’s highest scoring midfielder this term.

With the score 3-0 at halftime, Bantu were able to consolidate and coast their way through the second half. The final whistle was met by scenes of wild celebration as A Matšo Matebele clinched the title in the year of their 90th birthday celebrations.

Bantu’s success against Kick4Life made Lioli’s 2-0 win over Sky Battalion at Setsoto Stadium purely academic. Tse Nala were forced to relinquish the league crown after holding it for two years.

Bantu fans turned out in their numbers...

There was also drama at the bottom of the league in the relegation battle involving Rovers and Likhopo.

Likhopo beat Liphakoe 2-0 in Quthing while Rovers drew 1-1 with Linare in Roma. The results meant the Red Army leapfrogged above Rovers into 12th place. Both sides finished with 17 points but Likhopo survived the axe thanks to a superior goal difference.

It was heartbreak for Rovers who were relegated from the Vodacom Premier League on the final day.

Elsewhere, LCS clinched third place thanks to their 2-0 win over Sundawana and Kick4Life’s loss to Bantu. It is the ninth time in ten years Masheshena have made the top four.

Lastly, the battle for the top eight was also settled. LMPS made hard work of it, but they eventually beat relegated Butha-Buthe Warriors 2-1 to clinch the final remaining place in the top eight.

Semonye return to the Vodacom Premier League’s top eight after finishing ninth last season.

The main story, however, was in Maputsoe where Bantu took the town over and painted it black and yellow. Now they are new kings of Lesotho. A Matšo Matebele have won the second championship in club history in the year of their 90th birthday festivities.

Vodacom Premier League Final Day Results:      

LMPS 2-1 Butha-Buthe Warriors

Bantu 3-0 Kick4Life

LCS 2-0 Sundawana

LDF 0-0 Matlama

Liphakoe 0-2 Likhopo

Lioli 2-0 Sky Battalion

Rovers 1-1 Linare

Final 2016/17 Vodacom Premier League Standings:

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
C	Bantu	26	19	5	2	50	13	+37	62
2	Lioli	26	19	3	4	49	11	+38	60
3	LCS	26	15	8	5	38	21	+17	47
4	Kick4Life	26	13	6	7	42	28	+14	45
5	Sky Battalion	26	12	5	9	33	27	+6	41
6	LDF	26	10	9	7	28	21	+7	36
7	LMPS	26	8	12	6	23	20	+3	36
8	Matlama	26	9	11	6	37	25	+12	35
9	Sundawana	26	7	10	9	25	29	-4	31
10	Liphakoe	26	7	7	12	22	33	-11	28
11	Linare	26	6	9	11	35	38	-3	27
12	Likhopo	26	3	8	15	20	38	-18	17
R	Rovers	26	3	8	15	22	51	-29	17
R	Butha-Buthe Warriors	26	1	3	22	18	88	-70	6

·         Matlama docked 3 points

·         LDF docked 3 points and 3 goals