Teboho Molapo
MASERU — The unsustainable and bloodsucking nature of Lesotho football has been highlighted once again after Majantja president Sello Matete revealed he had spent well over M100 000 during last season’s league campaign.
Matete who has been in football administration for over 40 years — with Chelsea, LDF and LMPS among others — further revealed money already spent this season was close to the M50 000 mark.
At the end of last season, Majantja received M12 500 from the Premier League while champions Lioli were awarded M30 000 for their efforts.
“Last season, I spent an amount that is much over M100 000. I’m talking about transport, food and also paying the players,” Matete said.
Lesotho’s topflight football remains amateur and players have neither contracts nor monthly salaries.
Matete — who also runs a security company — employs some of his players, while paying tuition fees for those still in school.
The rest of the Majantja squad who are unemployed — based in Maseru and Mohale’s Hoek — are also given allowances.
“Twelve players are employed by me and four are going to school and I am paying their tuition fees. The rest, I give them something so they can get on with their lives,” Matete said.
“We have been trying to get sponsors (but) people are still not prepared to come into football. They don’t have trust in the administration, especially when it comes to finances. ”
According to the Mohale Declaration, signed in 2008, topflight clubs will have to produce “audited financial statements” that would be submitted on an annual basis to the league’s management and Lefa’s national executive committee starting last year.
However, this is yet to begin.
Meanwhile Matete — who has been Majantja president since 2005 — said the ill-discipline at the club was a result of people who did not have the club’s best interests at heart.
Last week, the Lesotho Referees Association said they would continue to boycott Majantja’s fixtures following their supporters’ attack of match officials after a 2-3 league defeat to Linare, in December.
The club has since held an emergency conference in Mohale’s Hoek to iron out problems which have beset the side.
“We are having the same situation as last year, when some fans in Mohale’s Hoek would separate themselves from those from Maseru. I wouldn’t say there are big problems, but we have to make some decisions,” Matete said.
Matete also insisted the Mohale’s Hoek side would not drop out of the Vodacom Premier League.
Under pressure Majantja lost 3-1 to LCS yesterday, and are stuck in the relegation zone — second from bottom and three points from safety approaching the end of the first half of the season.
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