Who will stop Matlama?

• Tse Putsoa on a roll as Secker’s men set early pace

Matlama FC are fast becoming the team every rival in the 2026/27 Vodacom Premier League will be desperate to avoid, and Sunday’s emphatic 4-1 demolition of Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) at Bambatha Stadium only strengthened the case that the Blues are the outfit to beat this season.

After two matches into the new campaign, Matlama sit top of the log with a maximum six points, having brushed aside their opening opponents with the kind of ruthless efficiency that suggests their form is no fluke.

It is a continuation of the electric run that saw them close out last season on a high, an upturn in fortunes that coincided directly with the return of coach Thabile Secker, the same man who has previously guided Tse Putsoa to league glory.

Against LMPS, Matlama needed just seven minutes to open the scoring through Molefi Kulehile, teed up by an inspired Litšepe Marabe, who would go on to complete a sensational hat-trick and walk away with the man-of-the-match award.

Sanele Phantše’s reply for LMPS proved nothing more than a consolation as Matlama cruised to victory without ever looking troubled. Even Secker felt his side left points on the pitch.

“We played very well in the first half. We should have won this game based on that first-half performance alone, but we did not,” Secker said, praising his defence for staying composed whenever LMPS threatened to find a way back into the contest.

That kind of clinical, front-foot football under Secker is precisely what has rival coaches worried. LMPS boss Motlatsi Letsie, for one, was left to rue his own side’s inability to match the Blues’ composure in the final third.

“My players played well, but there are mistakes that we have been trying to correct since our first match. When they are supposed to release the ball, they do not do so, and that is killing us as LMPS,” Letsie admitted.

With momentum firmly behind them, Matlama will fancy their chances of extending their perfect start this coming weekend when they face a Lifofane FC side in complete disarray, both on and off the pitch.

Lifofane arrive at the fixture off the back of a chastening 4-0 hammering at the hands of Manonyane FC, a result that laid bare the Botha Bothe side’s defensive fragility and lack of composure under pressure. Coach Nkosana Mabena did not hide his frustration afterwards, admitting his players had failed to stick to the game plan.

“We expected Manonyane to come at us, but we did not expect them to come with the confidence that they had. The team did not follow our game plans coming into the game. We planned to attack them and block their transitions, but the team lacked appetite,” Mabena said.

That heavy defeat followed an underwhelming 1-1 draw against a struggling Limkokwing University side in their season opener, meaning Lifofane head into their meeting with Matlama still searching for their first win of the campaign, and short on confidence.

To make matters worse, Lifofane’s troubles extend well beyond results on the field. The club finds itself embroiled in a bitter boardroom battle to retain the services of star player Sello Japhta, who has made no secret of his desire to join Lioli FC.

The Players Status Committee initially ruled in Lifofane’s favour, determining that Japhta remained contractually bound to the Botha Bothe side. However, the player successfully appealed that decision and now appears poised to seal his move away from the club, a transfer saga that threatens to further destabilise a Lifofane side already under significant pressure.

For a Matlama team riding the crest of a wave, a Lifofane side distracted by contractual drama and low on morale represents precisely the kind of opponent they will look to punish. Should Secker’s men make it three wins from three, they will not only extend their perfect start but send an unmistakable message to the rest of the league.

The early signs are ominous for the chasing pack. With a settled squad, a proven title-winning coach at the helm, and rivals like Lifofane seemingly distracted, the question being asked around the league is who will stop Matlama this season?

Seabata Mahao

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.