**Lifofane coach Nkosana Mabena explains slow start to 2026/27 season**
*Buthe-Buthe, Lesotho – 8 September 2026*
Lifofane’s head coach, Nkosana Mabena, said the club’s sluggish start to the 2026/27 Vodacom Premier League (VPL) season is a consequence of losing a large portion of its first‑team squad during the summer transfer window.
Mabena told reporters that the club has had to rebuild around a new group of players after the departure of several key figures. “I have lost about 60 percent of my starting line‑up from last season, so I am still rebuilding,” he said. He cited the moves of Khotso Molelengoane, Neo Motsamai and Monyane Senatla to Lioli, and the imminent transfer of star midfielder Sello Japhta to the same club.
Lifofane finished second in the VPL last season and was awarded the Most Improved Team trophy. The club’s first match of the current campaign ended in a 1‑1 draw with Limkokwing University, followed by a 4‑0 defeat to Manonyane.
“Why is every team targeting Lifofane? We are a small village team without resources,” Mabena said. “We pulled it off last season because nobody anticipated that Lifofane could do it. This season, most teams have prepared better. Another thing one can look at is that I have lost about 60 percent of my starting line‑up from last season, so I am still rebuilding.”
He added that the club would continue to work toward better results, acknowledging that the new squad would need time to reach the level of last season’s performance. “If we had resources like the big teams, I would confidently say we would come back, but now we will see how far we can go,” he said.
**League schedule and recent results**
The Lesotho Premier League Management Committee confirmed that all fixtures for the weekend will proceed as scheduled, except for the match between defending champions Lijabatho and Manonyane, which has been postponed to allow Lijabatho to prepare for its CAF Champions League preliminary‑round tie against Madagascar’s CFFA in Mauritius.
Saturday’s fixtures (all at 3 pm) will see Lifofane host Matlama, LMPS take on Members, and Lioli face Mzamane. Sunday’s matches (also at 3 pm) will have Limkokwing University versus Majantja, Bantu versus LDF, Linare versus Machokha, and Villa versus LCS.
In the second weekend of the campaign, Limkokwing University beat Machokha 1‑0, Lioli edged Linare 3‑2, Bantu won 2‑1 over LCS, and Mzamane recorded their first win of the season with a 1‑0 victory over Villa. Sunday produced two goalless draws: Majantja and Lijabatho, and Members and LDF. Manonyane recorded the biggest win of the weekend, defeating Lifofane 4‑0, while Matlama secured a 4‑1 win over LMPS.
*Source: Lesotho Times*
Article and image source: lestimes.com
