Four clubs will battle for preseason honours when the second edition of the Alliance Women’s Challenge kicks off at BambathaTšita Sports Arena on Saturday, marking another important milestone in the growth of women’s football in Lesotho.
The preseason tournament, introduced last year as an extension of the long-running men’s Alliance Challenge, will feature Berea Ladies, Linare Ladies, Matlama Ladies and Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) Ladies.
Alliance Insurance expanded its sponsorship to include women’s teams last year, providing female footballers with a dedicated preseason competition after years of backing only the men’s event. The initiative has been widely welcomed as another step towards raising the profile of the women’s game in the country.
Berea Ladies enter the tournament as favourites. Backed by Premier League giants Lioli, Berea are the only participating side currently competing in the Women’s Super League (WSL), where they regularly test themselves against the country’s top teams, including Kick 4Life Ladies, Lijabatho Ladies and Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies.
Their experience at the highest level is expected to give them a significant advantage over Linare Ladies, Matlama Ladies and LCS Ladies, who all campaign in lower divisions.
Despite their status as favourites, Berea will know better than to take anything for granted. Knockout football has a reputation for producing upsets, and their rivals will be determined to seize the opportunity to make an early statement ahead of the new season.
This year’s edition also comes with a major financial boost. Alliance Insurance has invested M100,000 into the competition, while the champions will, for the first time, be rewarded with a trophy and gold medals.
The inaugural tournament was staged without a prize budget, making this year’s investment a significant milestone in the continued development of the competition and women’s football in Lesotho.
Action gets underway on Saturday morning when Berea Ladies face Linare Ladies at 10:00am before Matlama Ladies take on LCS Ladies at 12:00pm, with both matches scheduled for BambathaTšita Sports Arena.
Interestingly, the women’s fixtures mirror those of the men’s Alliance Challenge, which will be played at Setsoto Stadium next weekend.
Tickets for Saturday’s double-header are priced at M20, with all four participating clubs set to share the gate takings equally.
Alliance Insurance says it remains committed to supporting the development of women’s football in Lesotho and hopes this year’s tournament will attract an even larger crowd following the successful debut of the competition last season.
Summary
- Four clubs will battle for preseason honours when the second edition of the Alliance Women’s Challenge kicks off at BambathaTšita Sports Arena on Saturday, marking another important milestone in the growth of women’s football in Lesotho.
- The inaugural tournament was staged without a prize budget, making this year’s investment a significant milestone in the continued development of the competition and women’s football in Lesotho.
- Alliance Insurance says it remains committed to supporting the development of women’s football in Lesotho and hopes this year’s tournament will attract an even larger crowd following the successful debut of the competition last season.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
