Alliance Winter Challenge is back

MASERU – The Alliance Winter Challenge is back after a year’s hiatus and the draw for the preseason showpiece that was held on Tuesday at Alliance Insurance’s headquarters in Maseru.

The annual tournament was last played in 2020 and this year’s showdown will be its fifth edition.

For the first time the tournament will feature four teams sponsored by the insurance company after Linare joined the family late in 2020 which means Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS), Lioli, Linare and Matlama will fight it out for the M25 000 jackpot that has been put forward by the insurance company.

The Alliance Winter Challenge will be played at the DIFA Stadium in Maputsoe at the end of this month and it will take place over two days.

On Saturday, 27 August, LCS will open the proceedings when they take on Lioli with Matlama and Linare set to follow next afterwards. The finals will then be held the following day.

Speaking at Tuesday’s launch, Alliance Insurance public relations officer Limakatso Mokobocho said the sponsors have also invited the winners of the recent Alliance High School Tournament, St Rose of Berea, to be guests at the tournament.
St Rose won the inaugural Alliance sponsored high schools’ tournament last month.

“The main purpose of the Alliance Winter Challenge is to improve the level of football in Lesotho, (and) to help the clubs sponsored by Alliance to prepare for the upcoming season,” Mokobocho said.

“As you know, when the season starts there are financial needs for clubs and clubs struggle. With this tournament we help them with gate-takings (from the tournament) to have something to help them,” she said.

Mokobocho said the aim is also to entertain fans and rev up the football spirit ahead of the new league season.

For Matlama, the tournament will be timely as they will be stepping up their preparations for the CAF Champions League in September. Matlama will face Cameroon’s Coton Sport on September 9 and LCS, Lioli and Linare have said they are determined to help ‘Tse Putsoa’ prepare adequately.

In the days leading to the tournament, Alliance is set to host a meet and greet with the fans to whet their appetite. On 19 August, Alliance and Lioli will be in Teyateyaneng before moving to Maseru on 23 August with Matlama and LCS.

The venue for the Maseru leg has not been confirmed yet, but Linare’s fun day in Leribe will be the day before the Alliance Winter Challenge kicks off at the Maputsoe DIFA Stadium.

Alliance Winter Tournament draw:
Saturday (August 27)
LCS vs. Lioli (13:00)
Matlama vs. Linare (15:00)

Tlalane Phahla