League football returns in Lesotho
Domestic football has returned in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho after a long lay-off brought about by the suspension of football activities due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The elite league has been in suspension since December while the Women’s Super League and A Division, which are also making a return this weekend were suspended in March 2020.
The Vodacom Premier League returned with a bang this past weekend with Lesotho international Jane Thabantso producing the moment of magic netting just ten seconds into the game to record the fastest goal in the history of the Lesotho Premier League as Matlama clinched a 3-0 victory over Likhopo in the Maseru derby.
The record was previously held by Refiloe Mothae of LCS, who scored 18 seconds into the match against Kick4Life during the 2015/16 season. Thabantso also scored the fastest goal in the history of the COSAFA Cup after netting in the 34th second as Lesotho clinched a comfortable 3-0 win over Mauritius at the 2016 edition of the regional tournament in Namibia.
Meanwhile, defending Champions Bantu were also impressive as they made a return to action with a comfortable 3-0 win over LMPS while Lioli produced the biggest result of the past weekend matches with a 6-1 demolition of rookies Manonyane.
The Lesotho Football Association Secretary General-Mokhosi Mohapi has welcomed the return to action after a long lay-off, but called on the football fraternity to thread carefully as the fight against the Coronavirus is not yet over.
“The return of our elite leagues has been received with mixed opinions, firstly it has been a welcome relief to the local fans, who had been starved of the local game for quite a long time,” the Secretary General said.
“The quality of the game at this stage is still way below the expected standards due to the long lay-off. Technically, this was to happen based on how the bodies of the players would react to the return. Remember it would normally take about six to seven weeks of preseason and having to get players ready in three weeks or even less will always pose a problem.
“A worrying factor in the mix is the behavior of the fans. Yes, normally are characterized by refusing to abide by the guidelines and it has been evidenced in the opening games. Most refuse to wear mask, don’t observe social distancing protocols and consume alcohol aplenty at the match venues. This could pose a challenge in the continued attendances by the fans should government find this to be a health risk.”
