Moorosi Tsiane

TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant Econet has injected a staggering M200 000 towards the second edition of the Econet Soccer Spectacular (ESS) penned in to start on 24 August this year.

The cash injection will see the winners pocketing M100 000 while the first runner up will beg M50 000. The second and third runners up will each take home M25 000.

Econet Telecom Lesotho public relations officer Puleng Litabe told guests at the launch of the tournament on Friday in Maseru that the competition is meant to help teams raise funds for their operations.

Matlama won the first edition last year but since there were no set prizes, they had to share the gate takings with the other participating teams.

Four teams participate in the tournament and they get their places in the quarter finals through SMS votes by their respective fans.

“The principal inspiration behind ESS is to help local teams to raise funds that will support them in their operations as the league resumes in the new season,” Litabe said.

“It is the supporters who are important in generating these funds for the tournament through their votes and gate takings. As such, it will still be the fans who vote the teams into the tournament.

“We are also trying to keep our teams busy while they are still preparing for the league to resume in September.”

For voting, each team has been given a code which supporters will use. Voting costs M1.

Litabe however, said the funds raised from this edition of the tournament will be handed to Econet. The company will add to the amount towards the M2 million annual sponsorship of the Premier League Management Committee.

She also said the voting started on Friday and supporters have until midnight on 21 August to vote for their teams.