SOUTH Africa's biggest social soccer club redeemed themselves on Sunday when they walloped Maseru City Stars 5-1 to erase Saturday's shock 5-0 defeat by Vintage in their first and historic international trip in the Lesotho capital.

The Fat Cats Legends, who were shapeless and evidently fatigued from the long trip from Johannesburg, were not their usual best and had no chance against a more organised Vintage.

Cats goalie Dingilizwe Magatshana Ntuli, making his debut for the prestigious club, had a torrid afternoon trying to keep the Vintage strikers at bay.

But he was let down by his defenders David Rooi, Gaba Bhengu, Sibusiso Nhlapo and Nkhensani Phaweni, who all clearly looked tired from the travelling and melted in the searing Maseru heat.

But then the entire team, missing some of the regular players who could not travel with the big club, also looked out of their depth on Saturday.

The midfield combination of ace ball players Lebo "Giggs" Tlomatsane, one of the best passers of the ball on his day, the usually dependable Libetsa "Skepe" Mpesela, the ever-running Maxwell "Zakumi" Chacha and Kaka Khoabane, one of the best social football midfielders of his time, failed to gel.

Chacha complained throughout the match that he had not eaten since Friday afternoon and had not had decent sleep. He took turns munching on crisps during the match.

The old African trick of denying the visiting team decent accommodation, giving them women and booze and making sure they party hard before the game seemed to have worked for Vintage.

The Legends hardly slept on Friday night after teething logistical problems when they arrived in the Lesotho capital only to find that some of the players and staff had not been booked into the hotel.

The team had to look for accommodation all over the city, and in the end did not share the hotel, an issue the coaching staff said made it impossible to monitor the players' movements.

But overall, Vintage were great hosts and deserve a pat at the back for a job well done, successfully hosting undoubtably Africa's biggest and greatest social club. They treated the Legends to a tour of engineering spectacle, Mohale Dam, after the match and also hosted a braai for the visitors at a local popular Car Wash.

But it was Maseru City Stars who bore the brunt of the angry and more organised Legends on Sunday morning. Missing veteran defender Nkhensani "Tsvangirai" Phaweni and striker Maisela "Warra" Kekana, who both failed to wake up in time for Sunday morning's encounter, the Legends, captained by veteran striker Willy Motlogelwa, knew their reputation was at stake and came firing from all cylinders, giving the Maseru taxi owners a vicious hiding.

The teams went to half time with a goal apiece thanks to strikes by Motlogelwa, who had promised to score his first goal outside the borders of the Republic of South Africa, and Stars' midfielder Tseliso Sekhoacha.

The three-year-old Lesotho side were eventually dismantled in the second half when Nelson Belebesi scored one of the best goals seen in social football in years. The comical striker celebrated his goal for a full three minutes, a sign that it was a memorable score for him.

In a moment of pure brilliance, man-of-the-match Lebo "Giggs" Tlomatsane powered home two strikes that secured the game for the Legends, before veteran defender Gaba "Gava (Shona for Jackal)" Bhengu's penalty kick buried the hosts. But the huge-assed defender had to make up after his first attempt was saved by the Maseru City Stars goalkeeper, who must have had his worst afternoon in the history of the Lesotho team, who are all taxi owners.

The Legends technical team led by modern day Jonas Savimbi, the big Angolan rebel, Japhet Mathanda Ncube, Elias "Big Five" Makinta and Mawande Sineke made some changes upfront when Kekana went in for a tired Motlogelwa, and partnered Belebesi.

Warra's darting runs saw Zakumi being used as a left winger, resulting in telling crosses into the box. It was one of Zakumi's crossed that gifted Belebesi with his fine strike.

Motlogelwa went back in for Belebesi with less than 20 minutes before the referee, whose decisions were questionable, blew his final whistle.

The Legends' next international trip will be in Mbabane, Swaziland, early next year. The team also have planned trips to Zimbabwe and Botswana in 2009.

After Sunday's match the team's convoy of luxury GP vehicles snaked its way through the mountainous capital to Mpesela's family home, where his mother welcomed us with open arms.

Lunch was being prepared in the big house, and the wonderful aroma of boiling sheep head filled the sweltering afternoon setting. It was a befitting farewell to the great team as they prepared to return to the Republic with a memorable win and a shock defeat they would rather forget.

What a trip!

Teams (Saturday): Goalkeeper: Dingilizwe Magatshana Ntuli. Defenders: Nkhensani Phaweni; David Rooi; Gaba Bhengu; Sibusiso. Midfielders: Libetsa Mphesela; Kaka Khoabane; Lebo Tlomatsane and Maxwell Chacha. Strikers: Maisela Kekana and Willy Motlogelwa. Substitutes: Amos Mananyetso, Belebesi.

Coaches: Elias Makinta, Japhet Mathanda Ncube, Mawande Sineke.

Sunday: Goalkeeper: Dingilizwe Magatshana Ntuli. Defenders: David Rooi, Sibusiso; Gaba Bhengu and Amos Mananyetso. Midfielders: Libetsa Mpesela; Maxwell Chacha Kaka Khoabane, Lebo Tlomatsane. Strikers: Willy Motlogelwa (Maisela Kekana) and Belebesi (Motlogelwa).

Coaches: Japhet Mathanda Ncube, Mawande Sineke and Elias Makinta

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