Leemisa Thuseho
LIBERTY Life Lesotho on Friday donated food parcels to 28 Kick4Life senior team players to help them through the Coronavirus (Covid-19) induced Econet Premier League break.
Local teams have not been generating revenue since mid-March 2020 when the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) suspended soccer activities to avoid the spread of the virus. This has left several teams struggling to pay their players.
It is in that light that Liberty Life Lesotho, who are Kick4Life’s main sponsors, chipped in to assist the players on Friday.
Liberty Life Lesotho sales consultant, Teboho Chabalala, said the move was necessitated by their awareness of the difficulties that the players are going through.
“We are trying to help our players by giving them and their families something to eat with their families,” Chabala said.
“This will ensure that they would be ready when the league resumes.”
He said while Liberty Life Lesotho has not been spared by the economic slowdown, they were driven by the need to give back in difficult times.
“The company survives through the support of Basotho; therefore, it is time for us to also give back,” Chabalala said.
He said his company would continue supporting the players.
Kick4Life director of football Chris Bullock said the pandemic affected most premier league teams and this has forced some to cut their players’ salaries while others are struggling to pay them. They are therefore pleased with the assistance that they have received from Liberty Life.
“Most of the teams depend on gate takings and without the games, it is difficult to continue paying players their full salaries.
“Even though Kick4life has other revenue streams, we are currently not generating any income,” Bullock said.
For May 2020, Kick4Life players got only 50 percent salary cuts.
According to Bullock, the uncertainty of the current situation cannot allow them to plan ahead and that has forced them release some of their players whose contracts have ended.
Among the released players are three South Africans Innocent Ncala, Nkopani Tabi and Teboho Ramothobi.