Leemisa Thuseho
THE 2022/23 Vodacom Premier League (VPL) champions, Bantu, are on the verge of giving their current coach Bob Mafoso a new contract, the Lesotho Times can reveal.
Mafoso took the reins in April 2023, immediately after the resignation of the team’s former coach Abram Mongoya.
Mafoso took the team with only six games to play before the season ended. Bantu were then on second position on the log standings while LDF was leading the pack.
But he managed to keep the team on a winning streak and Bantu were eventually crowned the champions on 18 May 2023, their fifth league title. They had also won the league in 2013/14, 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2019/20 seasons.
Bantu finished this year’s campaign with 68 points in 30 games while Linare and LDF were on second and third place with 63 and 62 points respectively.
Mafoso also led Bantu to winning this year’s People’s Cup soccer tournament after his team beat Lioli 2-1 at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru on 30 April 2023.
Initially, when Mafoso joined Bantu in April, the agreement was that he would lead the team for just the remainder of the season. In that short time, he helped Bantu lift two trophies: the VPL and the People’s Cup.
Bantu have since resolved to give Mafoso a new contract to continue as head coach.
Although an official announcement is yet to be made, the Lesotho Times has established that talks between the two parties are at an advanced phase. Bantu want to give Mafoso a two-year contract.
Bantu vice-president (technical), Phiri Panyane, confirmed that they were in talks with the coach and that negotiations “will be finalised soon”.
“It is true we have resolved to continue with Bob as our head coach and the negotiations are at a very advanced stage,” Panyane confirmed.
“The negotiations are 90 percent complete and we are hoping in the next two weeks we will be done.”
Mafoso also confirmed he was in negotiations with the team.
“I am yet to sign the contract, but negotiations are ongoing, and they are at an advanced stage,” Mafoso told the Lesotho Times this week.
