Teboho Molapo

MASERU –— Vodacom Lesotho says it has transferred prize money for all league teams for the just-ended season to the Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) which in turn is expected to distribute the money to clubs.

On Wednesday the telecommunications company, which sponsors all of Lesotho’s football leagues to the tune of M1 million a year, held a prize-giving ceremony for Premier League clubs at Pioneer Shopping Centre.

“Vodacom has given the money to Lefa to pay the clubs,” Vodacom Lesotho’s marketing officer Tsotetsi Seema told the Sunday Express.

“At the end of the day anyway we expect a report.”

For the Vodacom Spectacular tournament held last November, the company paid the prize monies directly to the participating teams.

Seema would however not say when Vodacom Lesotho transferred the league prize money to Lefa.

Teams in both the Vodacom Premier League and Vodacom A-Division told the Sunday Express they were yet to be rewarded for their efforts for the season which ended last month.

The A-Division’s public relations officer, Mosebo Motsoasele, confirmed the first division clubs had not yet been paid.

He said one of the reasons the payment had been delayed was that Lefa wanted the A-Division’s management to write a report first.

“We said we will only write a report when Lefa has paid the money to the teams,” Motsoasele said on Friday.

“We can’t say the teams have been paid because that would not be true. We are still waiting to hear from Lefa.

“But if they (Lefa), have received the money this week then I think they will make the payment sometime in the coming days.”

The Premier League’s communications and marketing manager, Lehlohonolo Matlosa, admitted the delay was uncomfortable for clubs.

“Yes it causes problems,” he said. “Some teams have put in a lot of funds during the season. So they will need the prize money.”