All eyes will be on BambathaTšita Sports Arena on Sunday as Matlama Football Club host long-time rivals Bantu FC in a mouth-watering Vodacom Premier League (VPL) second-round encounter.
The fixture renews one of Lesotho football’s oldest rivalries, with both sides eager to settle scores and strengthen their push for a title-contending position. In the first-round meeting, Bantu edged Matlama 2–1, and Sunday’s clash presents the hosts with an opportunity for revenge in front of their home supporters.
Matlama head into the encounter buoyed by a resurgence in form under newly appointed coach Thabile Secker. Last weekend, Secker marked his debut in the dugout with an emphatic 4–1 victory over struggling Manonyane at the same venue, a result that ended Matlama’s four-match winless run.
Sitting seventh on the log with 27 points, TsePutsoa will be desperate for an outright win to climb the standings and re-enter the title conversation.
Bantu, meanwhile, arrive in confident mood after shaking off an unconvincing start to the 2025/26 VPL campaign. A pair of narrow but important victories 2–1 against Linare and 1–0 over Members have lifted A MatšoMatebele into third place with 31 points. Another win on Sunday could see them rise to second position, should Lifofane drop points against Manonyane in Maputsoe on Saturday.
The Matlama–Bantu clash is the headline fixture in a busy VPL weekend as the second round gathers momentum and clubs jostle for supremacy.
At the summit of the table, Lijabatho continue to set the pace after edging Limkokwing University 1–0 on Saturday. Since their 2–0 defeat to Lioli on 22 October last year, Lijabatho have gone an impressive 12 matches unbeaten and now lead the standings with 35 points, three clear of Lifofane on 32.
At the opposite end of the table, Members are enduring a torrid campaign. From 16 matches, they have managed just one win a surprise 3–0 victory over Manonyane in October alongside four draws and 11 defeats. With only seven points, they remain rooted to the bottom in 16th position and face an uphill battle to avoid relegation.
Weekend Fixtures:
Saturday (16:00): LMPS FC vs Majantja FC (PTC), Lifofane FC vs Manonyane FC (Saxophone Thejane Ground), LDF FC vs Members FC (Ratjomose), and LCS FC vs Machokha FC (LCS Grounds).
Sunday:Matlama FC vs Bantu FC (Bambatha) – 16:30, Liphakoe FC vs Linare FC (LCS Grounds) – 16:00, Lioli FC vs LU FC (Saxophone Thejane Ground) – 16:00, and Maroala FC vs Lijabatho FC (Bambatha) – 14:00.
Summary
- In the first-round meeting, Bantu edged Matlama 2–1, and Sunday’s clash presents the hosts with an opportunity for revenge in front of their home supporters.
- Sitting seventh on the log with 27 points, TsePutsoa will be desperate for an outright win to climb the standings and re-enter the title conversation.
- The Matlama–Bantu clash is the headline fixture in a busy VPL weekend as the second round gathers momentum and clubs jostle for supremacy.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
