Eight teams will battle it out for M350,000 in total prize money when the Nedbank 8 roars into life this weekend at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena.

The money is an M100,000 increase on last year’s sponsorship and the benefactors are the top eight teams from the just concluded A-Division league campaign – Mzamane, Kick4Life, Lilemela and Maroala from the north stream and Majantja, Swallows, Members and Qoaling Highlanders from the South.

The Nedbank 8 will start at the quarterfinal stage on Saturday and Sunday where teams from the same stream have been kept apart in the draw, and the knockout competition will climax next weekend with the semi-finals and final.

Nedbank 8 Weekend Fixtures:
Saturday
Maroala vs. Qoaling Highlanders (13:00)
Kick4Life Juventude vs. Swallows (15:00)
Sunday
Mzamane vs. Members FC (13:00)
Lilemela vs. Majantja (15:00)

Speaking at Tuesday’s tournament launch, Nedbank marketing manager Sekonyela Matamane said discussions are ongoing to finalise prize monies for teams and players, but the winning club is expected to walk away with more than the M25,000 that last year’s champions pocketed.

“We have a history that we like, we celebrate it and we protect it,” Matamane said.

“Last year we supported the competition with 250 000, this year when we write (the history of the Nedbank 8), that two (hundred thousand) will be three (hundred thousand). By saying that, it means we have added M100 000 to improve the tournament,” he added.

The financial increase is music to the ears of the teams because the Nedbank 8 gifts them a much-needed financial windfall.

Not only does the money collected help the two teams that have won promotion to the Vodacom Premier League, which are Mzamane and Majantja this year, it goes a long way for the six other sides returning to the A-Division next season.

A-Division Management Committee (ADMACO) chairman Tšeliso Ramatla said that is what makes the Nedbank 8 important to the clubs, because it is a chance for them to make some money to help with team expenses.

“Take this opportunity, show a high level (of performance) because it is not easy to have competitions in the league,” Ramatla said to the eight teams.

“In the elite league (Vodacom Premier League) there is only one competition they play, then we wait for this one. The teams’ management know how difficult it is, they know their expenses for the whole season,” he continued.

Ramatla also urged the teams to understand and follow tournament rules.

He said the 2023/24 has been a difficult one for ADMACO because they had many cases that were caused by teams not being able to interpret laws properly.

Ramatla, who is an executive member of Vodacom Premier League champions Bantu, said he hopes there are repeats in the Nedbank 8.

“This season there were many challenges, teams interpret the law how they want and because they do that we had many cases,” Ramatla said. “Teams do not want to read the laws. I know because I run a team, I am in Bantu’s management.”

“I know you don’t read the laws and when things don’t according to your thinking it brings us cases,” Ramatla continued. “I trust we are done with that and we are getting into this tournament with no complaints.”

Tlalane Phahla

It’s crunch time in the Vodacom Premier League this weekend as the top teams collide and by Sunday evening there could be serious implications on the title race.
The game of the weekend is on Sunday when second placed Matlama will face third-placed Bantu at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena. Earlier in the day, league leaders Lioli battle it out with Linare who are fourth.

Linare’s chances of winning the league are now over, but they would love nothing more than to dash their neighbours’ title hopes just as they dented Matlama’s plans with a goalless draw on Sunday in Maputsoe.

It is a draw that Matlama head coach Halemakale Mahlaha admitted has complicated their title hopes but he insisted the championship is still within their reach. ‘Tse Putsoa’, with 58 points from 26 games, are two points behind leaders Lioli with four games to go.

Mahlaha remains confident because Matlama are yet to play Lioli and the destiny of the title is still in his side’s hands.

Bantu, on the other hand, are four points behind Lioli and will need favours from others to defend their title.

It has certainly not been smooth sailing for James Madidilane since returning to the club two months ago, and the dressing room has allegedly been rocked by infighting with some players unhappy with reported favouritism by the South African tactician.

Despite all the drama, ‘A Matšo Matebele’ would love to defend their title and claim their third championship in the past four seasons.

Beating Matlama is the first step because Bantu would leapfrog them into second position on the log with a victory.

If Bantu win, they will also complete a double over Matlama after their 2-0 triumph in the first round and the Mafeteng giants would claim precious bragging rights over their Maseru rivals.

Speaking to thepost on Wednesday, Matlama coach Mahlaha said he is expecting a tough game between Lesotho’s dominant clubs for almost a decade.

Matlama (with two titles) and Bantu (four titles) are the only teams to have won the premiership since 2017 and Mahlaha said Sunday’s match will be another mammoth clash between the sides as both juggernauts again vie to be crowned kings of Lesotho.

“There is a possibility these two teams could win the league and they are right behind one another and that’s what makes it tough,” Mahlaha said.

“The weekend’s results have impacted us, it has increased pressure to win this game,” he added.

Mahlaha admitted playing after Lioli also adds pressure because if Lioli win on Saturday, it means Matlama have to win at all costs to keep the gap at two points.

“Of course it does (put pressure), but we will work hard and focus on Sunday,” Mahlaha said.

“It is great though because we still have to play Lioli, so we will see. We like having tough games because this is how we test our players.”

Weekend Fixtures:
Saturday
CCX vs. LMPS (LAC)
LDF vs. Naughty Boys (Ratjomose)
Liphakoe vs. Machokha (LCS Ground)
Lioli vs. Linare (TY)
Sunday
LCS vs. Lifofane (LCS Ground)
LU FC vs. Lijabatho (Ratjomose, 14:00)
Matlama vs. Bantu (Bambatha)

Relebohile Tšepe

Machokha coach Tšepo Mokhele says match officials are destroying football in Lesotho.
A fuming Mokhele said poor officiating cost his side in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to title-chasing Matlama after a second half penalty secured the result at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena.

The final score had weighty implications on the Vodacom Premier League as it allowed Matlama to remain three points behind Lioli with a game in hand, while on the other hand, the defeat means Machokha are still in danger of being relegated.

Mokhele said Matlama did not deserve to win and were gifted the three points by the referees. Machokha had two loud penalty appeals turned down in the first half before ‘Tse Putsoa’ won the game from the spot in the second stanza.

Mokhele said the defeat leaves his side in a precarious position as they battle to survive in the top-flight with five games to go.

Machokha are in 12th place with 22 points, five points above the relegation zone, and gaining a point against ‘Tse Putsoa’ would have given them a safer cushion in their battle to survive.

Mokhele said the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) must do something about the officiating in the country because, if things continue as they are, it will destroy football.

“Officials are not only degrading our football, but they are also degrading our players,” Mokhele fumed. “People are paying to come here and watch a very beautiful game yet referees come and make us lose because we cannot fight them, which is very sad,” he added.

Mokhele insisted the result could have gone the other way if Machokha’s “clear” penalty appeals had been awarded.

“We could have won the game but the referees rejected our two clear penalties and I don’t know what Matlama’s penalty was given for, because that was not a penalty,” he said.

Mokhele said a similar thing happened when the sides’ met in the first round when Matlama scraped a 2-1 win.

“We scored first (in the first round match) before Matlama equalized. After Matlama scored the second goal, the game was over and that did not sit well with me,” he said.

Mokhele said what pains him most is that Machokha have a few matches to play in the Vodacom Premiership season and referees are gambling with their future as they did on Sunday.

Mokhele said the favouritism from referees does no favours for Lesotho’s big teams when they enter continental competitions.

“This is why you see people win the league in the country because they are used to being put on top of other people, but when they find fair refereeing (in CAF competitions) and they have to toughen up at the international level, we are always out. It is because of things like this,” he said.

“Let us compete,” Mokhele continued.

“Respect the crowd, the players, (LEFA) presidency and the people who are pouring money into football. Money is being spent each and every day only for our referees to do something like this. We did not deserve to lose that game,” Machokha coach insisted.

Matlama coach Halemakale Mahlaha declined to comment on the awarding of his side’s winning penalty but said his side’s struggles on the day showed that his players were not playing according to the game-plan.

“Our performance might be because of the internal things that happened a day before the game. Maybe the players were mentally distracted by the (9-1 win over) Naughty Boys (in the previous week),” Mahlaha said.

“Winning by that huge margin might have distracted the players but what was important was that we collected three points (against Machokha)”.

Relebohile Tšepe