Moorosi Tsiane
BANTU coach Bob Mafoso wants to win the league but he would not want it to be at the expense of Basotho lives in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mafoso told the Lesotho Times last week that he was still young and still had a long future ahead of him to win league titles.
He said whether the Premier Management Committee (PLMC) decides to prematurely end the Econet Premier League or not, there were much bigger considerations to be made than his desire to win.
Mafoso’s charges have been in rampant mood since the beginning of the 2019/20 season and were only three wins away from clinching the title when the league took a COVID-19 induced break in March.
Bantu are leading the 14-team league table with 50 points from 18 matches. The defending champions, Matlama, are trailing on second with 16 points difference, just eight matches left.
Mafoso, who is on the verge of bagging his debut league title as a head coach having previously worked as assistant to former coach James Madidilane at Bantu, says he cannot be thinking of himself in the prevailing situation.
“The situation is affecting the whole world and not only Bantu and the rest of our lives do not end in 2020,” Mafoso said.
“Whatever decision is reached, it must not be rushed because whatever happens, we must ensure that the virus doesn’t spread into Lesotho.”
He said it was no fluke that Bantu was at the summit of the log hence they can still do it again next season.
The former Kick4Life coach said he still has a long way to go as a coach hence he was under no pressure to win this season.
“I am still a young coach, so even if we don’t win the league this season, there is still a long time for us to do so. I can still win trophies in the future.
“The coach in me wants to win the league but I would be happier winning it having played all matches.”
Mafoso’s biggest fear is that some local teams may never recover financially should the league end prematurely.
“If the league is nullified, then it means teams have been wasting resources since September. Even now, some teams are still paying their players.
“So, mollifying the league is a tough decision considering the financial struggles that our teams are going through.
“I am not saying this because my team is leading the league race but we must be careful… If the league is ended prematurely, then most teams will struggle because they also rely on prizes to fund their operations.
“I am impressed with how the team has fared this season and indeed we deserve the championship. To be crowned the champions in Lesotho, a team must collect 58 points and we have so far amassed 50,” Mafoso said.
