Huge expectations await new PLMC

Chris Theko

Huge expectations await Matlama FC vice President Monaheng Rubbard who was on Friday last week elected the new Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) chairperson at the elections held at Bambatha TÅ¡ita Sports Arena.

Galaxy FC’s Advocate Seema Sefako was elected deputy chairperson.

Bantu FC’s Advocate Mokhethi Raphuthing was elected secretary of the committee. Raphuthing will be deputised by Mathibenli Mokone of the Lesotho Mounted Police Services(LMPS) FC.

The committee’s new mouthpiece, in charge of public relations, is Bokang Phasumane of Linare FC while David Ramphaile of Lioli FCis a member.

The new team takes over from the Mosa Seoli-led committee and is expected to run the elite league for the next two seasons.

Rubbard told Newsday Sports that their main objective is to push for the professionalisation of the sport in a bit to attract sponsors and create proper employment opportunities.

“Our main objective is to build our sports stronger and turn it into a profession that will not only benefit the players, but a lot of Basotho. We wish to get to a point where like other countries football create employment,” Rubbard said.

“We have a lot of good players, yet, we have been experiencing a challenge of taking them to the international standard because the very same players have to be employed elsewhere, so that they can provide for their families. But, if we create a level of professionalism, it will allow us to have these players focus mainly on football,” he added.

He said the league has to be able to attract sponsors without having to go out seeking sponsors.

He explained that having many sponsors will create a platform for a lot of competitions.

“We need to clean our house as the premier league to be in a position to attract sponsors because everyone wants to be associated with the winning and clean team,” Rubbard said.

He added, “This will help us have a lot of competitions which will also assist eliminate all these bad things that we see happening because people are bored. They need something positive to keep their minds busy.”

He highlighted that they would be working closely with the outgoing committee in a bid to bring back the sponsors who were there before the Covid-19 pandemic and also retain the ones who are still around. 

Rubbard further stated that there is a need for the rebranding of the premier league to make it attractive to corporates.

He said; “We are going to engage with professionals, marketing companies and brand strategists who will help us rebrand our league and make it more appealing to the sponsors so that they can see that there is value for the money in football”

He added; “Transparency will also help us build a professional league, the league has to be run like a business so that there is return on investments.” 

Rubbard is part of the current Matlama executive committee that has guided the current champions to winning the premier league trophy twice.

Since they took over, Matlama was able to end a ten-year trophy drought, winning the league for the 10th time in 2019.

They were runners-up in 2020 after the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

They won the league in the 2020/21 season.