Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) is crying foul over the Lesotho Football Association’s (LEFA) decision to continue with the unfinished 2020/21 Vodacom Premier League season. Yesterday, LEFA announced the current season would resume and be played to a finish.
LEFA said it made the decision after receiving recommendations from the country’s various league management committees (PLMC, A-Division, B-Division and C-Division) as well as the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The governing body’s resolution means the 2021/22 season is unlikely to be played because of time constraints. The current campaign has only played 53 percent of its fixtures and an entire second round of games still has to be finished.
The PLMC had recommended the current league season be aborted and for teams to prepare for a new 2021/22 season which was slated to begin at the end of October.
However, the A-Division Management Committee (ADMACO) were in favour of continuing with the current season, in direct contradiction with the Premier League, and LEFA has sided with the lower divisions in making a decision that goes against the elite league’s wishes.
The main reason Premier League clubs wanted to abort the season is because of money troubles. Top-flight clubs are broke and the fact that the government has banned spectators at football grounds does not help their cause.
Speaking yesterday, PLMC spokesperson Qamako Mahao said they are going to have an urgent meeting with the Vodacom Premier League’s 16 clubs on Friday to discuss LEFA’s decision.
Mahao also revealed the PLMC gave LEFA a budget detailing how much they would need to resume the league campaign but LEFA rejected it saying it doesn’t have money.
If that is the case, it would be surprising because a week ago LEFA’s president, Advocate Salemane Phafane, could not find enough words to describe just how financially stable the association was.
“I want you to understand that this time around LEFA came to us, it is their decision that we are continuing as the Premier League,” Mahao said of the LEFA’s decision to restart the 2020/21 season which started last September and was supposed to have ended in May.
“As the Premier League we have said the main reason for aborting the season was money problems for the clubs,” Mahao added.
“We spoke with the (league) sponsors, Vodacom, that if we stop, Vodacom will give us the money that we will be able to use to begin the new season.
But, now if LEFA insists on continuing with the league season because of the decision by A-Division and B&C Division, this means we are going to need money as Premier League teams and we gave LEFA our budget.
“(On Tuesday) LEFA told us there is no money but they expect us to continue with the season.
” Mahao said. The outcome of Friday’s meeting between the PLMC and premiership clubs will be eagerly awaited.
However, when asked about his opinion on LEFA’s decision to restart the season and whether they would now continue, one official from a Premier League club responded with a short and clear answer: “absolutely not.
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Many other club officials declined to comment on the matter.
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