Africa-Press – Lesotho. For a very long time, Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies have dominated local women’s football. LDF Ladies have won the last three Lesotho Women’s Super League (WSL) titles, a period spanning since 2017, and you have to scratch your head to remember the last time the army side weren’t champions.
LDF Ladies had basically appeared unbeatable but on Sunday that changed as they lost 2-1 to Kick4Life in the final of the Dare to Dream Championship at Makoanyane Barracks.
As usual LDF Ladies went into the final as favourites after thrashing Stoko 4-0 in the semi-finals on Saturday, but Kick4Life’s players and coaches had clearly had enough of LDF’s dominance.
Inspired by head coach Elizabeth Yelimala, a visibly determined Kick4Life claimed the trophy in style thanks to a brace by Lesotho international striker Senate Letsie. The long faces on the LDF players after the game were tough to look at, it was the first time they had lost to Kick4Life since 2015.
Although the Dare to Dream Championship was a preseason tournament which all participating clubs including LDF Ladies, Kick4Life Ladies, Stoko, Rovers were using to prepare for the new season, seeing LDF Ladies defeated brought joy to a lot of supporters and other teams in the Women’s Super League.
LDF’s success over the years has created enemies and, as soon as the final whistle was blown on Sunday, beaten semi-finalists Rovers Ladies and Stoko Ladies invaded the pitch to celebrate with Kick4Life.
The scenes will be etched in our memories for a long time. Rovers and Stoko stood in solidarity with Kick4Life because they were desperate for someone to humble LDF and any team that emerged as challengers for the WSL champions would receive their support.
It is say to safe it was not just Rovers and Stoko that were happy to see LDF get knocked off their perch and the president of the National Women’s Executive Committee, Baholo Motene, said Kick4Life’s victory is good for the WSL and women’s football.
She said Kick4Life’s win will create competition and also sends a message to LDF that other teams are raising their hands and want to be part of the newly-formed COSAFA Champions League which LDF are set to compete in later this year as Lesotho champions.
“It was the motivation for the ladies, when a team beats you (over and over) they will become dominant but it was about time to stop (LDF Ladies), another team has to start playing well, not to dominate but to give them challenge,” Motene said.
What made Kick4Life’s victory sweet was that it was not a smash and grab, instead, it was a tactical master-class from Kick4Life coach, Yelimala. LDF could not deal with Kick4Life’s pace in attack, especially from Letsie who was comfortably the best player on the pitch.
Yelimala said Kick4Life went into the final prepared for LDF Ladies. She said they planned to exploit their pace advantage and it worked, every time Letsie had the ball it looked as if we would be counting another goal.
Perhaps what was more impressive about Letsie’s performance was not just her two goals but her tracking back and movement off the ball. When Kick4Life didn’t have the ball she was tracking back to help her defenders and she made some great interceptions.
Kick4Life victory has given other teams hope and now they know LDF Ladies are human after all and can be beaten. Teams can dare to dream about beating LDF.
Of course, LDF would argue they were just unlucky on the day and mistakes cost them the game. Nevertheless, the entire league is rejoicing with Kick4Life because they feel as if the win was their victory as well.
LDF head coach Lehloenya Nkhasi was unfazed by the rival celebrations. It was expected, he said. When you win, you make enemies, is what Nkhasi said. He said LDF Ladies always know they are playing against the whole league, but that is what has made them so dominant.
While he was not happy the performance his players displayed on Sunday, he said it was a wake-up call and it is now all about how they pick themselves up.
He said the bigger picture for LDF is the COSAFA Women’s Champions League which isn’t far away now. LDF has to rid themselves of mistakes to have chance against some of the best teams in the region. Nkhasi said it’s good that LDF realised their mistakes now before going into the Champions League and they will be working to fix them.
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