Bantu Football Club capped off a productive week with a crucial 2-1 victory over LU FC on Wednesday, following a spirited 2-2 draw against league leaders Matlama FC over the weekend.
The win propelled A Matšo Matebele to third place on the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) table with 32 points from 15 matches. They now trail Matlama by just five points at the midway stage of the 2024/25 season, keeping their title ambitions alive.
In other midweek fixtures, LCS FC edged LDF FC 1-0 in a fiery clash between the security agency clubs, while Majantja FC pulled off a surprising 1-0 win over Linare FC.
Following his team’s draw against Matlama, newly appointed Bantu’s coach Charles Manda remained optimistic about the club’s future.
“Playing in the VPL is like running a marathon—one game does not decide the champion,” Manda stated.
“We should have won the match, but considering it was my first game in charge, a draw isn’t a bad result. Bantu will become a very strong team in the coming games.”
Manda, who has only been at the helm for four days, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. “The way they played pleased me. In a month, Bantu will be a formidable force capable of dominating other teams,” he added.
He emphasised his ambition to lead Bantu back to its winning ways: “Every coach’s job is to guide his team to victory, and I am determined to see Bantu reclaim its competitive edge.”
Bantu’s resurgence under Manda has certainly set the stage for an exciting second half of the season. And with momentum on their side, they remain in strong contention for the title.
On his part, Matlama’s head coach Halemakale Mahlaha, meanwhile, praised his players’ effort despite the dropped points.
“We made some mistakes that cost us, but I’m proud of the fight the team put up to secure an equaliser,” Mahlaha said.
He explained that tactical adjustments, including bringing in Tshepang “Busquets” Ntsenyane and Lisema Lebokollane, helped turn the tide in Matlama’s favour. “We knew Bantu would focus on controlling the midfield, so we decided to exploit the wings, and it worked well for us,” he noted.
Additionally, the VPL weekend results were as follows: Saturday: LU FC 0 – 2 Lioli FC, Lijabatho FC 0 – 1 Linare FC, Liphakoe FC 1 – 1 Lifofane FC, LMPS FC 1 – 3 LDF FC
On Sunday, Machokha FC 0 – 1 LCS FC, ACE Maseru FC 1 – 1 Manonyane FC, Matlama FC 2 – 2 Bantu FC, Mzamane FC 0 – 4 Majantja FC.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports.
Started working at Newsday in 2021.
has an Associate Degree in Journalism and Media.
