Mikia Kalati MASERU — Lesotho’s premier league giants Likhopo take on South African premier league side Free State Stars in a friendly tie at Setsoto Stadium this afternoon.

The Steve Khompela coached side arrived in Maseru yesteday for their friendly matches against Lesotho’s big guns Likhopo and Matlama.

Revealing the details of the friendly matches, Likhopo team manager, Qamako Mahao, told a media briefing on Friday that his ambitious side is determined to begin their preparation for the new season on a high note by registering a win over their South African counterparts.

“People are going to see a very well-oiled Likhopo machine on Sunday. “We want to carry on from where we left off in the second round of last season league campaign,” Mahao said.

“I can assure you that we are going to give our best performance and our experienced Likuena duo of Bokang Mothoana and Thapelo Tale will be part of the team for the Sunday match,” Mahao said.

Tale was part of the Likuena squad that recently participated in the tri-nations tournament in Botswana, while Mothoana arrived back in the country a few days ago after undergoing trials with FC Zurich in Switzerland.

Mahao also revealed that the team has been renamed MGC Likhopo. The renaming comes after Matekane Group of Companies (MGC) injected a two year M1 million sponsorship deal into the coffers of the 2005-06 premier league champions. Free State Stars public relations officer, Lebohang Maketa, on the other side said his team is here to give the two Lesotho outfits a lecturer.

“This is not the first time that we have come to play against Lesotho teams for our pre-season training, and coming back again can only mean that we are happy and satisfied with the competition we get,” Maketa said. “We always treat the pre-season with respect because it is the most important part of the new season preparations. We are doing the same this time around and we are confident it’s going to work out just fine,” said the Free Stars PRO.

He said Ea Lla Koto as Stars is affectionately known have brought all their regular members of the first team who helped the Free State outfit end in a respectable sixth position on the Absa Premier League log.

Also expected to be in the Stars squad are new members of the team who include newly signed former Golden Arrows goalkeeper Thulasizwe Khuzwayo.