Teboho Molapo
MASERU — Majantja will not be relegated because they are “too good to go down”, according to their coach Masupha Letsie.
The Mohale’s Hoek side, 15th in the Vodacom Premier League on 24 points, are seven points from safety with three matches remaining.
“Majantja is too big a team to get relegated. We are too good to go down,” Letsie told the Sunday Express on Thursday.
“Our aim this season is to survive and next season, if we are to do badly, we want to finish in the top four.”
Along with Matlama, Linare, Lioli and Bantu, Majantja are one of Lesotho’s traditional powerhouses and have won the championship on two occasions – in 1971 and 1996.
But those triumphs have become a distant memory in recent years and this season the club has found itself mired in the relegation zone.
It was a similar story last season: after Majantja had lost all their six matches in April the club looked destined for the first division.
But Majantja went on a dream run in May, collecting 13 of the possible 15 points to escape relegation by two points on the final day of the season.
Majantja seem to have embarked on a late-season charge again, winning two and drawing one of their last three games.
It means Majantja can possibly still avoid the chop if they win their remaining games.
“We are not only looking at the match with Joy (today); we are looking at matches against Nyenye and then Swallows on the final day,” Letsie, who joined Majantja from Mohale’s Hoek Young Stars in January, said.
“We want to collect nine points from these games.”
“The focus from all the players is definitely 100 percent right now,” he added.
But whether Majantja will survive come the final day of the campaign on May 22 may be out of their hands.
Majantja can only attain 33 points, meaning they will be demoted if 13th-placed Mphatlalatsane (31 points), Swallows (32), Lerotholi (32) or Likhopo (33) win any of their remaining games.
But Letsie remained unfazed pointing to Majantja’s run-in which will see two of their final three matches at home.
Majantja are scheduled to host fellow relegation battlers Nyenye Rovers next Saturday before travelling to Mazenod for a potential do-or-die clash with Swallows on the final day of the season.
“We are confident we will stay up,” Letsie said.
“Since Joy beat us at their home we intend to give them the pain they gave us.
“It is important that we use our home advantage.”
Majantja will also pray for a helping hand from other teams.
Today their rivals Nyenye Rovers are away to Bantu who are chasing a top-four finish.
Also this afternoon Lerotholi, 10th, host fourth-placed LCS at the Central Prison while Mphatlalatsane face the daunting trip to champions-elect Matlama.
Today’s Premiership fixtures:
Lerotholi Polytechnic vs LCS (Central Prison)
Bantu vs Nyenye Rovers (Maputsoe)
Matlama vs Mphatlalatsane (Pitso Ground)
Majantja vs Joy (Mohale’s Hoek)
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