Chris Theko
Newly crowned 2020/21 Vodacom Premier League (VPL) champions, Matlama is set to honor Chief Nathaliel Griffith Lerotholi as part of festivities to celebrate the team’s 90 years of existence.
Following their title victory in the just ended season, the Maseru based outfit has added to its trophy cabinet, the 11th Premier League title, making it the most decorated team in the country.
Matlama Head of Marketing and Communications Monyane Sello, told a media briefing in Maseru this week that in celebration of the club’s 90th anniversary and the championship triumph, the club has decided to honor the memory of their founding father Chief Lerotholi who named the club Matlama in 1932.
“We are celebrating 90 years as Matlama Football club and for those who are aware of the history of our country, you will know that Matlama played a huge role in us becoming a nation today as we know that Matlama was the name of King Moshoeshoe’s army.
“We were honoured to have been given the name Matlama by Chief Griffith at the Matsieng family home in 1932 and we will be launching our celebrations by visiting Matsieng to honour our naming father,†Sello said.
He said the club will have a number of celebrations the entire year to mark their 90th anniversary starting with the Chief Lerotholi Trophy Tour. The tour will make a number of stops at the club’s chief patrons’ homes, namely Matsieng, Thaba Bosiu, Rothe, Ramabanta and Ha Maama.
The dates and times for the different tour stops are yet to be confirmed and will be announced at a later stage.
“We do so in memory of the late Chief Griffith Lerotholi who blessed us with the name Matlama back in 1932. So we invite all to get ready to rumble and join the mighty blues on the morena Griffiths Memorial Trophy Tour,†a statement released by the club said.
The tour officially begins in Matsieng on Sunday May 22, 2022.
The club will also host a gala dinner end of July as well as the Matlama FC invitational Gold challenge scheduled for spring and later a football tournament to take place against a South African premier league side invited.
Matlama had an impressive run throughout the 2020/21 season which has been described as the longest premiership run in history following midway halts influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The team sealed off championship with about four games to go and eventually scooped the title with a 10-points gap with the runners-up Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) whom they beat to the 11th title as the two stood at 10 titles apiece coming into the ending season.
