Lesotho Premier League

Last updated
Lesotho Premier League
LesothoPL.png
Founded1970;55 years ago (1970)
CountryLesotho
Confederation CAF
Number of clubs16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to Lesotho A Division
Domestic cup(s) Lesotho Independence Cup (Top 4)
MGC Supa 8
International cup(s) CAF Champions League
Current champions Lioli FC (6th title)
Most championships Matlama FC (11)
Current: 2024–25 Lesotho Premier League

The Lesotho Premier League, also known as Vodacom Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is the top football division in Lesotho and was created in 1970. Econet Telecom Lesotho was the league sponsor, from 2017/2018 to 2019/2020 season. [1] Vodacom Lesotho are again the current league sponsor and were also the sponsor of the now cancelled Vodacom Soccer Spectacular knockout competition, which was the Lesotho's annual national cup tournament.

Contents

Format

The Lesotho Premier League is currently contested by 16 clubs. The league uses a double round robin format meaning one team plays the other twice. Therefore, a team will play a total of 30 games per season. The team with the most points wins the league title.

The Lesotho Premier League is still played on an amateur status.

Sponsorship

Since 2002, Lesotho's Premier League has been sponsored by telecommunications companies. Econet Telecom Lesotho, through its prepaid product Buddie, sponsored the Premier League and Lesotho's lower leagues (the A-Division, B-Division and C-Division) from 2002 until 2009. In 2009, the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) ended its seven-year association with Econet Telecom Lesotho and signed a three-year partnership with Vodacom Lesotho. As part of the deal, Vodacom Lesotho agreed to sponsor the Premier League and all lower leagues for a combined M1 million per season for three years. However, in 2017, LeFA ended its sponsorship with Vodacom Lesotho to pen a new three-year multi-million maloti sponsorship with the previous sponsor Econet Telecom Lesotho in which the champions will pocket M500 000; a 150% increase from the previous M200 000 received by 2016–2017 champions Bantu. [2]

The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they have called the Lesotho Premier League:

Premier League domestic cups

2023-2024 season

Champions

YearsChampions
1970Maseru United (1)
1971 Majantja FC (1)
1972 Police FC (1)
1973 Linare FC (1)
1974 Matlama FC (1)
1975Maseru FC (1)
1976Maseru United (2)
1977 Matlama FC (2)
1978 Matlama FC (3)
1979 Linare FC (2)
1980 Linare FC (3)
1981Maseru Brothers (1)
1982 Matlama FC (4)
1983 Lesotho Defence Force FC (1)
1984 Lesotho Defence Force FC (2)
1985 Lioli FC (1)
1986 Matlama FC (5)
1987 Lesotho Defence Force FC (3)
1988 Matlama FC (6)
1989 Arsenal FC (1)
1990 Lesotho Defence Force FC (4)
1991 Arsenal FC (2)
1992 Matlama FC (7)
1993 Arsenal FC (3)
1994 Lesotho Defence Force FC (5)
1995 Majantja FC (2)
1996 Roma Rovers FC (1)
1997 Lesotho Defence Force FC (6)
1998 Lesotho Defence Force FC (7)
1999 Lesotho Defence Force FC (8)
2000 Lesotho Correctional Service (1)
2001 Lesotho Defence Force FC (9)
2002 Lesotho Correctional Service (2)
2003 Matlama FC (8)
2004 Lesotho Defence Force FC (10)
2005 Likhopo FC (1)
2006 Likhopo FC (2)
2007 Lesotho Correctional Services (3)
2008 Lesotho Correctional Services (4)
2009 Lioli FC (2)
2010 Matlama FC (9)
2011 Lesotho Correctional Services (5)
2012 Lesotho Correctional Services (6)
2013 Lioli FC (3)
2014 Bantu FC (1)
2015 Lioli FC (4)
2016 Lioli FC (5)
2017 Bantu FC (2)
2018 Bantu FC (3)
2019 Matlama FC (10)
2020 Bantu FC (4)
2020–21 Matlama FC (11)
2022–23 Bantu FC (5)
2023–24 Lioli FC (6)

Performance by club

ClubCityTitlesLast title
Matlama Maseru 112022
Lesotho Defence Force (includes Royal Lesotho Defence Force) Maseru 82004
Lioli Teyateyaneng 62024
Lesotho Correctional Services (includes Lesotho Prisons Service) Maseru 62012
Bantu Mafeteng 52023
Arsenal Maseru 31993
Linare Leribe 31980
Maseru Brothers (includes Maseru United) Maseru 31981
Lesotho Paramilitary Forces Maseru 21984
Likhopo FC Maseru 22006
Majantja Mohale's Hoek 21995
Maseru Maseru 11975
Police Maseru 11972
Roma Rovers Roma 11996

Top goalscorers

YearCountryBest scorersTeamGoals
2000–01 Flag of Lesotho.svg Lire Phiri Lesotho Defence Force 30
2005–06 Flag of Lesotho.svg Masupha Majara Lesotho Defence Force 9
2014–15 Flag of Lesotho.svg Litsepe Marabe Bantu 22
2018–19 Flag of Lesotho.svg Sera Motebang Matlama 18
2021–22 Flag of Lesotho.svg Katleho Makateng Lesotho Defence Force 20
2022–23 Flag of Lesotho.svg Hlomelang Lebina Lesotho Correctional Services 15
Jane Thabantso Matlama
2023–24 Flag of Lesotho.svg Lemohang Lintsa Limkwokwing University FC 19

References

  1. ↑ "Econet new premier league sponsors". 2 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Econet new premier league sponsors". 2 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Info, Lesotho (2025-02-25). "PLMC, Econet Lesotho, and Sam Matekane Foundation Launch People's Cup". Lesotho Info. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
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