—After Matlama’s stumble over the weekend
—As the rivals face off in epic clash tomorrow
Leemisa Thuseho
THE race for the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) title has become increasingly captivating after defending champions Lioli leapfrogged league leaders Matlama over the weekend.
Lioli have taken the top spot following their decisive 3-1 victory over long-time rivals Bantu on Saturday at DiFA Maputsoe Ground.
Meanwhile, Matlama, who had been leading the race, slipped to second position after suffering a 1-0 defeat against LDF on Sunday, also at the DiFA Maputsoe Ground.
This was the second time in a row that Matlama dropped points, having been held to a 1-1 draw by Lijabatho last week Thursday.
As it stands, Lioli are now leading the league with 57 points, while Matlama are second with 55 points.
The pressure is mounting on Matlama after they relinquished their lead at the top of the table, a position they had occupied for much of the season.
With just six games remaining, the title race has effectively become a two-horse race between Matlama and Lioli.
Bantu, who are third with 50 points, have seen their chances of remaining in the race significantly diminish after their loss to Lioli on Saturday.
The highly anticipated clash between Lioli and Matlama is set to take place tomorrow (Friday) at the Bambatha Ts’ita Sports Arena.
Many believe the winner of this match will have a significant advantage in the race for the league title.
When the teams met in the reverse fixture last December, Matlama emerged victorious with 1-0.
Lioli will be determined to avoid another defeat against their rivals and drop crucial points, while a win for Matlama will allow them to retain their pole position.
However, a victory for Lioli would extend their lead to five points, which would be a major blow to Matlama’s title aspirations.
Lioli coach, Motheo Mohapi, was elated after his team took the lead in the league, saying that it serves as a huge motivation for his side.
“When you take the lead in a race, that becomes a huge motivation to stay there,” Mohapi said following Lioli’s victory over Bantu.
Mohapi expressed confidence that if Lioli could secure three points in their next match against Matlama, it would put them in a strong position to defend their league title.
“What we need in the remaining games is focus and concentration, which I believe will help maintain our winning mentality,” he said.
On the other hand, Matlama coach, Halemakale Mahlaha, has been left ruing his team’s missed opportunities in their loss to LDF.
However, Mahlaha promised to sit down with his players and devise a way forward ahead of their crucial encounter with Lioli.
“We just have to analyze where we went wrong in our recent games, like the missed chances against LDF,” Mahlaha said.
The coach emphasized the importance of his role in keeping the players motivated, especially after the team’s recent disappointing results.
All the teams will be in action tomorrow in catch-up games that were postponed on April 5-6, 2025. This was due to the unavailability of referees who were attending a mandatory fitness test at Bambatha Ts’ita Sports Arena and Maputsoe DiFA Ground.
Tomorrow’s full fixture list:
Lioli vs Matlama @ Bambatha Ground– 15:00
Liphakoe vs Manonyane (-venue yet to be confirmed) -15:00
Linare vs LCS @ (venue yet to be confirmed)- 15:00
LU vs LDF @ Ratjomose Ground -15:00
Lijabatho vs Lifofane @ Morija Ground- 15:00
ACE Maseru vs Mzamane @Ratjomose -13 :00
Machokha vs Majantja – (venue yet to be confirmed) – 15:00
LMPS VS Bantu @ PTC Ground -15 :00
