Machokha, LCS meet in their first VPL clash
NTHAKO MAJORO
MASERU – Premier league rookies Machokha FC and the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) FC are to meet in their first Vodacom Premier League (VPL) tie at the LCS Ground on Sunday. Both teams go to the Sunday match after collecting maximum points in their last fixtures. Masheshena, as LCS FC is popularly known beat Liphakoe 3-0 on Tuesday while Machokha beat Lifofane 1-0 on Wednesday. Both Machokha and LCS FC have not lost in their last five matches. Masheshena won three matches out of those five fixtures and drew in two, while Machokha won two and drew in three. What is going to be interesting about this particular match is that Machokha coach, Katiso Mojakhomo, is the former LCS coach.
Mojakhomo coached LCS FC long enough to know what to expect from his former team. This is while the LCS coach, Shalane Lehohla, also played under Mojakhomo during his time as the LCS’s player. “Both teams have chances of winning the Sunday game, but LCS will have the upper hand since we are still new in the Premier League,” said Mojakhomo in an interview with Public Eye. “But we are also a strong team and we are prepared for the LCS match.”
Mojakhomo said they had a plan on how to approach the LCS game and said what’s good about big matches like this was that it’s already a motivation to the players. “One of good things about big games like this one is that it motivates the players and that makes it very easy for us coaches to focus a lot on the tactics during the game,” Mojakhomo said. LCS coach Lehohla said there’s no easy game in the premier league. “It is not going to be an easy game, and what will be important for us is to play to our strength,” said Lehohla.
“He (Mojakhomo) may know the club’s (LCS) tradition and the playing style very well but it is the matter of how we are going to play on the day.” Masheshena are currently lying on second spot on the 16-team Vodacom Premier League log table on 21 points, and Machokha on fourth position on 19 points, both from 10 matches. In other weekend matches, the log-leaders Bantu take on Liphakoe while the current third-placed the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) FC host the Premier League rookies Galaxy, both games take place tomorrow.
Premier League weekend fixture at a glance:
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Liphakoe vs LDF FC
Lioli vs Naughty Boys
LDF FC vs Galaxy
Linare vs Lifofane
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Swallows vs Manonyane
Machokha vs LCS FC
Lijabatho vs LMPS FC
CCX FC vs Matlama
