The Women Super League champions Kick4Life’s maiden continental journey came to a disappointing end this week, following two heavy defeats in the group stage of the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifiers.
Drawn in Group B alongside Botswana’s Gaborone United Ladies and Eswatini’s Young Buffaloes, the Lesotho side struggled to match the experience and intensity of their regional counterparts during the tournament hosted in Johannesburg.
Kick4Life kicked off their campaign on Monday with a promising start against Young Buffaloes. The Lesotho champions initially stunned the Eswatini side with an early lead, showcasing grit and ambition. However, the Buffaloes soon regained control of the game, scoring three unanswered goals to seal a 3-1 victory.
Despite the opening day loss, hope lingered that Kick4Life could bounce back in their second group encounter on Wednesday. But it was not to be. Gaborone United stormed to a 7-0 lead by halftime, exposing the gulf in class and experience.
While Kick4Life managed to regroup and show greater composure in the second half, they conceded three more goals before netting a late consolation, ending the match in a humbling 10-1 defeat.
Speaking after the match, coach Elizabeth Yelimala acknowledged the challenges her team faced but expressed pride in their effort and resilience.
“It was tough conceding as early as the second minute, which destabilised the team,” Yelimala said.
“But I am happy with the way we responded in the last 20 minutes to get our goal. We threw in some of our youngsters who had energy, and we managed to score.”
The campaign marked Kick4Life’s debut appearance on the continental stage, making them only the second club from Lesotho to participate in the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, following Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies’ previous two campaigns.
Despite the heavy score lines, Yelimala stressed the importance of the experience gained.
“We are very grateful to have participated and to the association for registering us. This has been a valuable learning curve. We need to improve our stamina and speed of play to compete at national and regional tournaments.”
While the early exit was a tough pill to swallow, Kick4Life’s participation offered valuable insights into the level of preparation required to succeed at the continental level, a stepping stone for Lesotho women’s football as it continues to develop.
Kick4Life Group Stage Results:
Monday: Young Buffaloes 3–1 Kick4Life
Wednesday: Gaborone United 10–1 Kick4Life
Summary
- Drawn in Group B alongside Botswana’s Gaborone United Ladies and Eswatini’s Young Buffaloes, the Lesotho side struggled to match the experience and intensity of their regional counterparts during the tournament hosted in Johannesburg.
- While Kick4Life managed to regroup and show greater composure in the second half, they conceded three more goals before netting a late consolation, ending the match in a humbling 10-1 defeat.
- While the early exit was a tough pill to swallow, Kick4Life’s participation offered valuable insights into the level of preparation required to succeed at the continental level, a stepping stone for Lesotho women’s football as it continues to develop.
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.
