Matlama to revamp Pitso Ground

MASERU – Vodacom Soccer Spectacular champions Matlama have pledged to undertake a facelift of Pitso Ground, a derelict stadium that hosts top-flight matches in the capital.
The stadium has a makeshift perimeter wall of corrugated iron sheets while the pitch only has patches of grass.
Matlama, who use Pitso Ground for their home matches, are planning a facelift of the stadium.
The inadequacies of the ground — venue of Lesotho’s first independence celebrations in 1966 — were exposed last month when crowd trouble erupted during a league match between Matlama and Lioli.
Fans invaded the pitch as running battles between followers of the rival teams fought.
The match had to be abandoned with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.    
Matlama’s public relations officer Lesolle Phalatsi told the Lesotho Times the Maseru side will erect a proper wall around the stadium as well as lay grass on the pitch.
“We are going to fix the pitch at the end of the season and we are 100 percent sure about that,” he said.
“There are two things that are very important: we need to build a wall around the perimeter of the ground and to fix the grass.
“We have been trying to source help from sponsors and supporters, but we have said with the little we have, we will begin our plans at the end of the season regardless.
“When the season ends we are going to plant grass.”
Meanwhile, if Matlama win their two games this weekend they will shoot to the top of the Vodacom Premier League.
Matlama face Rovers in Roma this Saturday before hosting LMPS at Pitso Ground 24 hours later.
Matlama are second in the league, two points behind leaders Lioli who play just once this weekend against Nyenye Rovers on Sunday.
Weekend fixtures
Saturday: Linare vs Joy, Majantja vs Bantu, Botha-Bothe Roses vs Lerotholi Polytechnic, Mphatlalatsane vs LCS, Rovers vs Matlama.
Sunday: LDF vs Rovers, Matlama vs LMPS, Likhopo vs Swallows, Lioli vs Nyenye Rovers.