Moorosi Tsiane
BANTU is now in the final stages of its preparations for its CAF Champions League assignment against Zambia’s Nkana at Setsoto Stadium on Sunday.
The return fixture will be played in Kitwe, Zambia a week later.
Bantu played GladAfrica Championship side Free State Stars last Saturday where they played three halves of 45 minutes losing 3-1. They also played the national Under-20 side on Tuesday. The team reported for a full camp on Sunday.
Coach Bob Mafoso told the Lesotho Times that while the team has been inactive for eight months since March this year when Covid-19 broke out, their focus should be on winning on Sunday.
Bantu last played a competitive match in March when they clashed with arch-rivals Matlama in the MGC Top4 semi-finals.
“We are at a stage where we must compete whether or not we have been,” Mafoso said.
“That we have been inactive for eight months is a fact but not an excuse because the matchday is around the corner and that is where our focus is.
“We have prepared for conditions like this and we must find a balance ensuring that our boys deliver. We were slow when we started with Stars, the match intensity was too high but as the game progressed, we came to the party. I was impressed with what I saw and I am confident we can deliver.”
Stars players are fast but Nkana’s are bigger and slower although their marksman is speedy but the biggest worry is the side’s exposure to competitive football having played five league matches while Bantu has been dormant for over eight months.
“We would have liked to play more friendlies but there is nothing we can do… to be the best, you must play with the best…we would have wanted to play multiple friendlies with teams that can stretch us.”
Nevertheless, Mafoso believes that they did the best given the prevailing circumstances.
“We would have liked to play more friendlies with tougher teams but we couldn’t. we haven’t seen signs of lack of fitness in the friendlies that we have played so far but we will see how it goes on Sunday,” Mafoso said.
