Bantu, Lioli fight for People’s Cup

MASERU – Lioli and Bantu will lock horns in the People’s Cup final at Setsoto Stadium in a much-anticipated clash between the two arch-rivals on Sunday.

For ‘Tse Nala’ it is an opportunity to end a trophy drought that dates all the way back to 2018.

Lioli are struggling in the Vodacom Premier League and find themselves languishing in ninth place but a win in the first-ever People’s Cup will give the supporters hope that the good times will return to Teyateyaneng.

The match will see a reunion of sorts as Bantu coach Bob Mafoso will face a Lioli side he left last November after just three months in charge.

Form never counts when these two teams meet which can be proven by the fact league leaders Bantu failed to beat Lioli and failed to score on the two occasions when the sides met this season.

It is the sliver of hope Lioli need as they look to get the better of their Mafeteng rivals who have dominated local football and basked in glory over the past four years.

Lioli, on the other hand, have had to watch from the side-lines as problems within the club have deepened and mediocrity has become the order of the day.

For this group of players, however, the People’s Cup represents an opportunity to show there is light at the end of the tunnel

And the tournament is a welcome free hit for both finalists; it is a competition that was not in the league’s calendar when the season started which was cooked up in secret and then wheeled out in a hurry.

Speaking to thepost on Tuesday, Lioli head coach Motebang Makhetha said anything is possible but ‘Tse Nala’ do not want to put themselves under pressure going into the final.

The Lioli coach said the final is “a mental game” and that being in the showpiece is enough motivation.

Makhetha joined the club in February after the side suffered a string of bad results. Makhetha was brought in to stabilise the situation and while it has not been smooth-sailing for him, results have slowly improved.

“We cannot say because we haven’t won a cup for a long time, we are hungrier than anyone, if we do that, we will be inviting unnecessary pressure. We are going there with the thinking of doing what we have prepared,” he said.

“We are trying to balance the four corners of coaching, see that physically we are okay and we can match our opponent, tactically, to see that we can match each other and not find ourselves below them but, if possible, we would like to be on top of them,” he added.

“We want to make sure that technically our players show maturity in everything they do and we know technically they have players who are too good. Let’s see how we can counter them and finally mentally is more important than all,” he said.

The Teyateyaneng side defeated Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) last Saturday in Mantšonyane in a penalty shootout to book a date with Bantu.

Cameroonian striker Switberth Kum fired ‘Tse Nala’ into the lead in the 77th minute, however, Tsiame Ramabele spoiled the party 10 minutes later netting an equaliser for the army side to force a shootout which Lioli eventually won 3-2.

Makhetha insisted Lioli did not go into the tournament not as underdogs, but as worthy entrants like the other three contestants – Bantu, Linare and LDF.

He admitted the team started the season poorly but said they were on the recovery path by the time the People’s Cup came around.

He said the preparations for the final will be the same with understanding that it is a do-or-die type of game.

“We are going with no pressure at all, up to now I think people have appreciated their team’s effort by voting for it. The players showed by how they played against LDF in the semi-final that they were trying to reward the supporters’ effort,” he said.

“We all know the supporters always expect anything and because of that we are not going to let ourselves be decided by the 90 minutes,” he said.

Kum has been an influential player for Lioli this season and he will be important for Lioli again on Sunday. If Lioli can get him into the game and create opportunities for him, he could be a difference maker.

Immediately after Sunday’s final, Makhetha and his technical team will shift focus back to the league. With the top four now effectively out of reach, the best ‘Tse Nala’ can hope for is a top eight finish.

Makhetha described the three league games against Matlama, LDF and Swallows as cup finals as every team now wants to collect points.

The four games will not only be tactical battles but it will be physical challenges which will increase the chances of players picking up injuries, something Makhetha highlighted as a concern for his side because they lack squad depth.

One player that will not be involved in the final and has not been involved in the last four games is Tumelo Makha.

Makha was signed on a short-term deal in January from South African side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and featured in a handful of games but he suddenly disappeared without a word from the club.

Makhetha, however, explained that Makha has taken an opportunity to redeem himself in South Africa and that Lioli cannot stand in his way.

“He will always be welcome at the club if things do not go well for him in South Africa,” Makhetha said.

Tlalane Phahla