Pascalinah Kabi
MASERU — Mosiuoa Boseka’s first half goal handed Bantu a narrow 1-0 victory over South African premier league team, Free State Stars, at Setsoto Stadium yesterday. Boseka found the back of the net in the 35th minute after receiving a defence-splitting pass from playmaker, Tšoloane Mosakeng. The goal proved enough to send Free State Stars packing. It was however the visitors who enjoyed more possession with Bantu struggling to impose their game.
Even Boseka’s goal did not seem to have given A Matšo Matebele a hold over the visitors. The match went into the break with the score-line unchanged. Bantu coach Caswell Moru must have given his charges a tongue lashing during the break as they came back fired up, forcing the visitors to commit endless mistakes in their quest to find an equaliser. By all accounts this was a drab match as the Mafeteng-based side failed to get into their usual sweeping moves. “This was a very nice, entertaining and open practice match for my team,” Steve Kompela , the Free State Stars coach told the Sunday Express after the match.
“I believe the people who came to watch this game must have enjoyed watching both sides.”
He commended the Independence Cup title holders for being well-organised at the back. “They played very well and their defence is well organised, making it difficult for strikers to penetrate,” Kompela said. “Their counter-attacks are also very good but they just need to be more clinical in ensuring that beautiful counter-attacks bear them more goals.” Moru on the other hand said playing against a team coached by a technical genius such as Kompela had helped his side perfect their game as they prepare for the premier league second round. Bantu are in second place on the Vodacom Premier League log with 22 points after 10 matches.
“The game was very technical and we knew exactly who we were playing against,” Moru said. “Playing against a ‘technician’ like him needed us to be technical and I am happy our boys managed to absorb the pressure and relaxed mentally.” In another international friendly match yesterday, defending Vodacom premier league champions, Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS), shared the spoils with Qwa-Qwa Stars at Setsoto Stadium. LCS are expected to travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, in a fortnight to face Dynamos in a Champions League preliminary tie on the weekend of February 16. The locals’ preparations for the Caf Champions League have been in disarray since the beginning of the year.
First the cross-border tournament in which Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic were to play four local teams was shelved because of lack of funding. The premier league management committee last month decided to shelve the second round of the league until after the Africa Cup of Nations currently taking place in South Africa.