A comprehensive 4-0 victory for Lijabatho over defending champions Lioli at the weekend secured them their first Lesotho Premier Soccer League title and another championship for coach James Madidilane, the former South African international.
It is the first title for the club from Morija, who secured success with one fixture left to play in the season.
Basotho international Tumelo Kutlang, who previously played in South Africa at Black Leopards and Moroka Swallows, scored a hat-trick in the decisive win at Maseru’s Sesotho Stadium on Saturday.
Lijabatho moved to 62 points from 29 matches, four ahead of Bantu FC who were 5-1 winners over Lesotho Correctional Services in the earlier match of a double header feature in the Basotho capital.
Madidilane’s initial coaching experience has been at Roses United and the junior ranks of Bloemfontein Celtic before he moved to Lesotho where he helped Bnatu to win the title in 2017 and 2018.
Madidilane played for Manning Rangers, Bloemfontein Celtic and Maritzburg United in his PSL career and won a single cap for South Africa in a weakened XI that played against Mauritius in a Cosafa Castle Cup tie in 2007. He was a regular under-23 international.