Alliance pumps M250 000 into high schools’ football

MASERU – Alliance Insurance has launched the second edition of the Alliance High School Soccer Tournament.

The launch was held at the company’s headquarters yesterday afternoon. The second edition follows a successful first edition which the insurance giants backed with a M250 000 worth kitty last year.

The total sponsorship amount remains the same for this year’s edition but the prize money for the champions has been increased from M5 000 to M7 000.

The tournament features schools from Maseru, Mafeteng, Berea and Leribe.

The knockout stages for Mafeteng, Berea and Leribe schools will kick off on May 13.

Because Maseru is a district with many schools, its knockout will start this weekend and the schools will play each other in order to determine the zone winner who will represent Maseru on July 1 when the finals are played.

Last year Maseru was represented by Thetsane High School who were able to reach the final only to lose on penalties to St. Rose which represented Berea.
Khethisa and Bereng High School represented Leribe and Mafeteng respectively. It remains to be seen which schools will make it to the last four this year, and if St Rose will be able to defend their trophy.

The blockbuster sponsorship for school sports is a partnership between Alliance and the Lesotho Institute Schools Association (LISA) and it is for three years.

Speaking on behalf of Alliance, its head of group marketing and corporate communications, ‘Makeabetsoe Mabaleha, said the company will continue to support sports in Lesotho and help Basotho grow.

Mabaleha pointed to the successes of the first edition and the work done by LISA as the reason the company increased the prize money for the champions this year.

She thanked the four Vodacom Premier League clubs sponsored by the company – Matlama, Lioli, Linare and Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) – for their continued support. The four clubs were represented at the launch.

“First, I would like to congratulate Linare and Lioli who participated in the People’s Cup (and) we thank the four clubs for their continued support and understanding why we also need to support the High Schools competition,” she said.

There is added motivation for the schools this year.

The winners will feature in the Alliance Winter Challenge pre-season tournament which is usually played in August alongside four of the Vodacom Premier League’s best teams.

“This year, the winner of the tournament will face the previous winner of the first edition in the curtain raiser game for the Alliance Winter Challenge. The sponsorship remains the same, and it is for the whole competition but we were talking with LISA and we decided to increase the (winner’s) prize money to M7 000,” she continued.

The semi-finals and finals will be played at the LCS Ground on July 1.

LISA president Teboho Pholo pointed to several players who played in the first edition who are now with Vodacom Premier League clubs. Players like Relebohile Tlabaki at Lioli and Teboho

Montlha at LCS, just to name a few, represented their schools last year. Pholo thanked Alliance for their support and for acknowledging the job LISA is doing.

Tlalane Phahla