Bantu Football Club were held to an entertaining 2–2 draw by Lifofane FC on Wednesday in a thrilling encounter that could have seen either side go top of the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) table with a win.
The match was a rescheduled fixture after the original tie was abandoned in September due to bad weather. Both teams remain level on seven points, having played four matches each.
Wednesday’s stalemate followed Bantu’s 2–0 victory over Liphakoe FC, while Lifofane were coming off a hard-fought 3–2 win against Members FC over the weekend.
Bantu had appeared to reignite their title push with their previous win, but Lifofane once again halted their momentum.
In their weekend clash againt Liphakoe, Bantu dominated possession and showed attacking intent from the outset, while Liphakoe maintained a disciplined defensive structure. The best chance of the half fell to Bantu’s Sboniso Mahlangu, who failed to convert from inside the box after finding himself well-positioned to score.
After the break, Bantu intensified their attacks, particularly down the wings, a tactic that soon paid off. Ten minutes into the second half, Sebata Letlatsa broke the deadlock with a composed finish after a well-executed move that caught Liphakoe’s defence off guard.
Bantu doubled their lead in the 73rd minute following a defensive mix-up that resulted in an own goal, seemingly putting the match beyond Liphakoe’s reach.
Liphakoe’s coach Dumane Lethakha admitted that his side struggled to adjust to Bantu’s tactical changes.
“We had prepared specifically for their usual right back, who is a dangerous winger. Unfortunately, he only came on in the second half when our players were already fatigued,” Lethakha explained.
Despite the result, Lethakha expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, noting visible improvement compared to previous outings.
Bantu head coach Motheo Mohapi was pleased with his team’s second-half display.
“The first half did not go as planned, we lacked attacking rhythm,” Mohapi said.
“We decided to increase the tempo by introducing our winger, Itumeleng Falene, and that change worked well.”
Mohapi emphasised that his strategy was to stretch Liphakoe’s compact defence by using width and maintaining a high tempo, particularly in the closing stages.
“My priority as a coach is to make sure Bantu plays winning football that excites our supporters,” he added. “Any player who fails to execute what we agree on during training will sit out.”
The result keeps both sides within striking distance of the league leaders as the competition intensifies early in the campaign.
Weekend Vodacom Premier League Results:
LU FC 1–1 Manonyane FC
Lifofane FC 3–2 Members FC
Bantu FC 2–0 Liphakoe FC
Majantja FC 4–1 Machokha FC
LMPS FC 2–1 Maroala FC
Summary
- Bantu Football Club were held to an entertaining 2–2 draw by Lifofane FC on Wednesday in a thrilling encounter that could have seen either side go top of the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) table with a win.
- Bantu doubled their lead in the 73rd minute following a defensive mix-up that resulted in an own goal, seemingly putting the match beyond Liphakoe’s reach.
- The result keeps both sides within striking distance of the league leaders as the competition intensifies early in the campaign.
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.
