KFC launches 5-A-side tourney

Luciah Phahla
Maseru

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) launched its annual KFC Football Beat 5-A-side tournament yesterday at Maseru Mall.
The competition, scheduled for next month, will be contested by children from 10 to 14 years of age and will be held at the Kick4Life football centre.
In total, the KFC Football Beat will accommodate 150 kids from Maseru and Butha-Buthe districts.
Speaking at yesterday’s launch, KFC local store marketing coordinator Ramafahla Thamae said the tournament will comprise both boys and girls and will have 25 teams competing against each other.
To enter the competition participants will have to gather points from X-box 360 console games that will be placed at different KFC branches in Maseru and Butha-Buthe.
Kids that collect the most points will qualify for the championship.
“This tournament started last year and we played at Maseru Club, however, this year we will be playing at the Kick4Life grounds and the participants will come from Maseru and Butha-Buthe, both boys and girls, ” Thamae said.
“This programme will run for the next four weeks with participants playing X-Box consoles where they will be taking penalties in less than 30 seconds. They can play as much as they want and children that will gather the most points will qualify. However, to play the X-Box, participants or their parents need to buy anything from KFC and show the receipt to the promoters on the same day,” Thamae said.
The finalists will then meet their coaches on September 3 for training sessions at Kick4Life.
Some of last year’s coaches will take part again this year.
Among the confirmed coaches are Kick4Life assistant coach Elizabeth Yelimala, former Lesotho international Kabelo Mosothoane and Molefi Katane.
Thamae said there will be surprise faces amongst the coaches this year.
“The training day will be on the 3rd September at Kick4Life, (coaches) will conduct training so that the kids get to know them and get used to them. Last year’s coaches are here and there will be surprises faces in the coaches this year,” he said.
KFC manager Vincent Solomons said the competition is part of the company’s social responsibility programme and giving back to the community.
He said KFC hopes some of the participants in the Football Beat programme will go on to have careers in football.
“This is part of our social responsibility, getting the kids in football with the hope that it can leave a spark for the future,” Solomons said.
“Among these 150 children that will be participating we hope that 15 percent can become superstars, (and) not only play in the country but outside the country as well. We also want to help the development of football in the country by developing players at a young age,” he added.
The date of the tournament will be confirmed later.
Present at the launch was Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) chief executive officer Mpaiphele Maqutu as well as the principal secretary of the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sport and Recreation ‘Masefika Sefika.
Sefika said sports can open doors for players.
“I have noted that KFC has included kids from the districts, it’s not only going to be kids in Maseru. The involvement of kids from outside Maseru cannot be over-emphasised. With sports we can avoid a lot of things which include diseases. With sports they can earn their living. It can become a profession,” Sefika said.