LMPS seek to turn fortunes around

MASERU — MGC Supa8 kings LMPS have the chance to bring their Premier League season back on track when they travel to Sebothoane to face Joy on Saturday.
Simunye are in 10th position in the 16-team Vodacom Premier League after a lacklustre start to the season, in which the police outfit have won three and lost the same number of matches so far.
Eight points off the top, LMPS will be desperate to pick up three points.
However, Joy have been a bogey side for LMPS, of late. Last season, the Sebothoane outfit beat LMPS 4-1 and forced a 2-2 draw in their two league encounters. In fact, LMPS have not beaten Joy in the league since a 1-0 win in December 2007.
Simunye coach Lelia Makubekube is expecting a tough match.
“It will be a very tough game on our side because Joy are doing very well at the moment. They will be tough to beat,” Makubekube told the Lesotho Times on Tuesday.
LMPS will be without defensive rock, Sheli Ramoseeka, who serves the second of his three-match suspension after getting a red card against Lioli. He is set to be replaced by Molefi Phaloli, the MGC player-of-the-tournament.
“The side that played against Lioli is the one that will play against Joy,” Makubekube said. “We still have Phaloli and he will make a comeback. There are no injuries in the team and our players, who were with the national side at the Cosafa Challenge, are all fine.”
LMPS — who are not part of the Vodacom Soccer Spectacular which prompted a three-week break — have been inactive since a 0-2 loss, to Mphatlalatsane a St Monicas, on October 11. That loss had been preceded by a 1-0 win over Lioli the previous day.
“Joy are like Mphatlalatsane; if you look at our previous clashes, they have always given us a lot of problems,” Makubekube said.
“It hasn’t helped (the break), as you know in football, you need to keep playing. We have played a couple of friendlies but it’s not the same (as competitive matches),” Makubekube said.
LMPS have been inconsistent this season, but that is due to the new-found respect teams now have for the club, according to team captain Bota Ramantsoe. The skipper denied that LMPS only do well against the bigger sides.
“It is only now that teams are coming to LMPS with a different outlook. Before that, every team thought they could just pitch up against LMPS but it is different now,” Ramantsoe said.
“We are not going for the league title; we just want to finish in the league’s top four. We are just going to take it one game at a time.”