Chris Theko
Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) forward Katleho Makateng who stole the show to become the biggest winner at the Vodacom Premier League (VCL) awards last week, said he was thrilled by the massive victory coming his way, especially in his debut season in the topflight league.
Makateng told Newsday he did not expect to take home all the awards he was nominated for despite his name coming up frequently as a fans’ favourite.
“I learned through various publications that my name was popping up but I was not sure because there was stiff competition. To be honest, I was hoping to take at least two of the awards, so what happened is a huge surprise for me, but I am grateful that I won the awards I was nominated for,” Makateng said.
Makateng was playing in the premier league for the first time after the army side signed him from the lower division Lits’ilo in 2020.
“For a player that was fresh from a lower division to achieve all that I did is a big honour and I can only be grateful to God and my teammates and the technical team at LDF,” he said.
The awards event was held in Maseru in a glittering ceremony organised by the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) in partnership with the soccer league headline sponsor telecommunications giant company Vodacom Lesotho.
Makateng won four awards including the Golden Boot top goal-scorer award having scored the most goals in one season, receiving the M 13 500 prize money. He broke the three-year-long 18 goals record set by both Mojela Letsie and former Matlama forward Motebang Sera banging in a record 20 goals.
He also won the battle in the Players’ Player of the year award category beating competition from Matlama’s veteran attacking midfielder, Jane Thabantšo and golden boot challenger LCS’ Makara Ntaitsane, where he took home another M12 000.
The trio also faced off in the biggest award of the night, the Player of the Season category, where Makateng scooped the M15 000 prize as winner, as well as the M 9 500 prize for the Young Player of the Season award.
The awards ceremony was the first since Vodacom Lesotho replaced rivals Econet Telecom Lesotho as the sponsor for the premier league in 2020.
Matlama’s winning league coach, Molebatsi Mothobi was awarded the Coach of the Year award where he scooped M12 000 in the category that also had LDF’s Motheo Mohapi and LCS’s Shalane Lehohla.
All the winners at the VPL Awards 2022:
ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE SEASON
Lesupi Puputla
REFEREE OF THE SEASON
Ret’selisitsoe Molise
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Katleho Makateng (LDF FC)
GOALKEEPER OF THE SEASON
Monaheng Ramalefane (Matlama Fc)
DEFENDER OF THE SEASON
T’seliso Lekhoa (Matlama Fc)
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Katleho Makateng (LDF FC)
COACH OF THE SEASON
Mothobi Molebatsi. (Matlama Fc)
PLAYER’S PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Katleho Makateng (LDF FC)
TOP GOALSCORER OF THE SEASON
Katleho Makateng (LDF FC)
Summary
- To be honest, I was hoping to take at least two of the awards, so what happened is a huge surprise for me, but I am grateful that I won the awards I was nominated for,” Makateng said.
- “For a player that was fresh from a lower division to achieve all that I did is a big honour and I can only be grateful to God and my teammates and the technical team at LDF,” he said.
- The trio also faced off in the biggest award of the night, the Player of the Season category, where Makateng scooped the M15 000 prize as winner, as well as the M 9 500 prize for the Young Player of the Season award.
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