Seabata Mahao
LCS Football Club (FC) is set to start their 2024/25 Vodacom Premier League (VPL) campaign away from their usual home ground, the LCS Ground, after the Premier League suspended the facility due to sponsorship conflicts.
The issue arose because the LCS Ground is currently branded with promotional content from Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL), a direct competitor of Vodacom Lesotho, the league’s primary sponsor.
This publication understands that Vodacom has demanded the removal of ETL branding and threatened to suspend the ground from hosting games if the issue is not resolved.
In response, the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) has temporarily suspended the LCS Ground from hosting Premier League games.
“Please note that the LCS Ground has been suspended from hosting Premier League games until further notice. As stated in the memo issued on the 5th of August 2024, there are unresolved issues with the league sponsor. The situation remains unchanged,” the PLMC said in a notice to all clubs.
LCS Football Club has clarified that it is not responsible for the ground’s branding, as the facility is owned by the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) management, which has a branding agreement with ETL.
LCS Public Relations Officer, Pheko Ntobane, speaking on behalf of both LCS and LCS FC, stated that the LCS management signed a one-year branding deal with ETL, and the football club has no authority over this partnership.
“We do not own LCS Ground; we simply use it to host our home matches. If necessary, we will hire another ground, like other clubs do,” Ntobane explained.
“We are hopeful that all stakeholders will reach an understanding that benefits everyone. We hope they agree to cover the branding during Premier League matches so that the games can proceed as scheduled.”
In the latest Premier League fixture list, LCS is set to host ACE Maseru FC at Ratjomose ground for their league opener. Masheshena as LCS is affectionately known, will use the venue as its home ground for the remainder of the season, according to the fixture list.