Lesotho Premier League

Last updated
Lesotho Premier League
LesothoPL.png
Founded1970;54 years ago (1970)
CountryLesotho
Confederation CAF
Number of teams16
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)
(2023-2024)
Most championships Matlama FC (11)
Current: 2023–24 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

2020-22 season

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 Defense Force FC (1)
1984 Lesotho Defense 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)
2021-2022 Matlama FC (11)
2023 Bantu FC (5)
2024 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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Lesotho</span> Landlocked country in Africa

Lesotho is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is an enclave, surrounded by South Africa. The total length of the country's borders is 909 kilometres (565 mi). Lesotho covers an area of around 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi), of which a negligible percentage is covered with water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Lesotho</span>

Politics of Lesotho takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Lesotho is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maseru</span> Capital and largest city of Lesotho

Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border. Maseru had a population of 330,760 in the 2016 census. The city was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the country became a British protectorate in 1869. When the country achieved independence in 1966, Maseru retained its status as capital. The name of the city is a Sesotho word meaning "red sandstones".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free State (province)</span> Province in South Africa

The Free State, formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teyateyaneng</span> Town in Lesotho

Teyateyaneng is a town located in the district of Berea in Lesotho. Usually abbreviated to T.Y., Teyateyaneng takes its name from the two twin rivers which run on the north and the South. Both rivers lead to the Mohokare, or the Caledon River which forms the western boundary with South Africa. They are both named for their vast quantities of sand which means rapid dipping of feet as one crosses them, leading to both names which may well suggest that this is a 'place of quick sands'. Teyateyaneng's name therefore comes from the southern Teja-tejana River, but the name later changed to Teyateyaneng, perhaps due to British influences as the country became a Protectorate in the late 1800s.

The Lesotho Independence Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic football in Lesotho.

Lesotho requires its residents to register their motor vehicles and display vehicle registration plates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subdivisions of Lesotho</span>

Administratively, Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown.

Vodacom Soccer Spectacular is a soccer tournament that was launched by Vodacom Lesotho in 2008 and took place in 2011.

The sport of football in the country of Lesotho is run by the Lesotho Football Association. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Premier League. Football is the most popular sport in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bantu FC</span> Football club

Bantu Football Club is a Lesotho football club based in Mafeteng.

Linare FC is a Lesotho football club based in Leribe in the Leribe District. It was established in 1931 and it has been in the Lesotho Premier Division from the early 1930s to date.

The 2016–17 Lesotho Premier League is the 49th season of top-tier football in Lesotho. The season began on 27 August 2016 and concluded on 6 May 2017. Bantu won their second league title and will represent the Lesotho Premier League in the 2018 CAF Champions League.

Liteboho Mokhesi is a Mosotho footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays Matlama FC. He previously played for the Lesotho national football team, and is still eligible to compete in it.

Antonio J. Flores Flores is a Spanish football manager who serves as a technical director at Hogar hispano valencia fc of the liga estadal venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa</span> Mosotho choral composer (1908–1982)

Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa (1908-1982) was a prominent choral music composer in Sesotho, the native language of the BaSotho people of Southern Africa.

Butha-Buthe Warriors is a Lesotho football club based in the town of Butha-Buthe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazenod Swallows FC</span> Lesotho football club

Mazenod Swallows FC is a Mosotho football club based in Mazenod that currently competes in the Lesotho Premier League. It is currently managed by former Lesotho international and Swallows player Teele Nts'onyana.

Naughty Boys Football Club is a football club based in Maseru, Lesotho. The club currently competes in the Lesotho Premier League, the Lesotho top flight.

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.