Mikia Kalati
Linare won their second Vodacom Premier League match in a row last Sunday, edging struggling Likhopo 1-0 at home in Hlotse to continue their revival under new coach Lehlohonolo ‘Freese’ Ntene.
This was the team’s second successive win since Linare overhauled their coaching department early this month due to poor results. The technical department shakeup saw club legend Thulo Leboela, being sacked while Ntene was made the head-coach once again.
Despite taking Linare to third position on the 14-team Vodacom Premier League log last season, Ntene had been unceremoniously relegated to Leboela’s assistant at the start of the current term.
However, after winning their opening match, Linare went on to lose four matches on the trot, prompting Leboela’s dismissal and the reinstatement of Ntene.
The youthful Ntene has since won the two matches he has been in charge of so far, taking the team from second-from-bottom on the table to sixth position, in the process.
However, Ntene’s celebration was Likhopo’s agony, as the loss to Linare was the team’s fourth of the season in six games.
Linare were without inspirational skipper, Mabuti Potloane, who was on national duty against Angola on Friday last week, while first-choice goalkeeper, Dyke Tšiu, watched from the stands due to injury.
Still Ntene’s charges were too good for Likhopo, who are going through a poor run of results and are now second from bottom on the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, the Tšepo Hlojeng-coached Mphatlalatsane beat Kick4Life 1-0 to register their third victory of the 2014/15 season and move to fifth position on the log.
League rookies Kick4Life are finding the going tough in the topflight league, and have lost four times, won once and drawn twice. The team sits on 11th position on the table.
The match between LCS and Likila United, which had been scheduled for LCS Ground, had to be abandoned midway due to torrential rain.
| LDF | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 16 | |
| Bantu | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 13 | |
| LCS | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | |
| Lioli | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | |
| Mphatlalatsane | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 10 | |
|
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 9 | |
| Linare | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | |
| Likila United | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 8 | |
| Q-Highlanders | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 | |
| Sundawana | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 6 | |
| Kick4life | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 5 | |
| LMPS | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 5 | |
| Likhopo | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 4 | |
| Nyenye Rovers | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 1 |
