…calls it a day to topflight league
Mohloai Mpesi
The Vodacom Premier League side Kick4Life Football Club will withdraw its participation in the premier league at the end of the season, Newsday Sports has learnt.
In a statement issued yesterday, the club indicated that the new twist to its operations was with a view to focus more attention on refining talent for women’s senior football and youth football for boys and girls.
The news was confirmed by the club’s spokesperson, Reitumentse Tlopo who indicated that they are playing the last few games remaining before the completion of the current season before they implement the decision taken to withdraw its participation from the elite league.
“Yes it’s true that the club will not be participating in the next 2022-2023 season to put more attention on the senior women’s team as well we boys and girls. So the team is going to be dismantled, the management is yet to discuss the matter of status which will be announced in due course†he said.
The club is currently in 9th place of the Vodacom Premier League table which championship it was yet to win in the past six seasons.
Kick4Life has contributed to the growth of football in the country, evidently with the athlete scholarships in the United States of America (USA) and Canada where the likes of Lesia Thetsane who plied his trades with Kaw Valley FC in Kansas City, Mako Makoanyane who went to joined Columbia College before moving to Little Rock Rangers while Senate Letsie secured a football scholarship in Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois as well as Boitumelo Rabale who jetted-off to Lewis and Clark Community College before moving to the South African Mamelodi Sundowns are some of its beneficiaries.
Kick4Life’s mission is to change the lives and long-term prospects of young people in Lesotho and a core function of the current Kick4Life Senior Men’s team is to provide our most talented footballing participants the opportunity to play at a high level and also to achieve their potential in life.
“Kick4Life are aware that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the USA (the governing body of College Sports) will deem any player ineligible for College sports participation if they play in the Men’s Lesotho Premier League (due to losing amateur status). For this reason, the Kick4Life Senior Men’s team will now step away from participating in the Lesotho Premier League.
“Kick4Life’s Men’s football operations will now focus exclusively on developing young players (up until u23), while playing regularly against top teams in Southern Africa (including in regional tournaments) as well as competing in the lower leagues in Lesotho that are permitted by NCAA. This will ensure Kick4Life’s most talented players are not restricted in achieving their potential in both football and academics.
“Kick4Life Women will remain in the Super League with a strong focus on becoming a dominant force in the country after winning their first Super League title in 2021.
According to the club’s Country Director Motlatsi Nkhahle the club has been operating by financing both the men’s and the women’s teams equal because “…it was an important move and a big statement, but we also recognise that women’s football can exist, evolve and thrive independently of the men’s game, and as a club committed to social change we believe that we can have the most positive impact by focusing exclusively on senior women’s football. As well as developing our own women’s team we want to work closely with the Lesotho FA, other clubs and stakeholders to grow the women’s football ecosystem and to maximise its potential for social impact.”
