Swallows rewards top players

MASERU – After surviving Vodacom Premier League relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, Swallows held a ceremony last Saturday to thank their players and hand out prizes to the standout performers from their miraculous survival campaign.

Swallows were stuck in the relegation zone for the majority of last season but a last-gasp surge saw them escape the axe with Likhopo and Sefotha-fotha instead dropping down to the first division.

Swallows held an informal event in Mazenod at the weekend to celebrate and the club chairman Mosa Seoli said they are working to establish several revenue streams that can generate income for the club.

A lack of finances has long been Swallows’ Achilles heel and has often been the roots of their struggles.

Last season they were forced to play their home games 33 kilometres away from Mazenod in Nyakosoba and Seoli said ‘Maswai-swai’ are fixing their ground so they can play games in Mazenod and generate money from gate-takings.

He added that Swallows will soon hold a conference discussing the club’s future plans and he urged supporters to attend. Swallows have struggled for several seasons, Seoli admitted, and he said the management committee is determined to fix the club’s administration and stabilise the development of players.

Those plans need the support of the Mazenod community, the chairman underlined.

“I want to tell you where we are going. I am asking you supporters to come and help us, please be there at the conference centre in two weeks’ time,” Seoli said.

“We are going to officially give a report on how we worked on everything with regards to administration of the team from two years ago.”

Swallows are one of several clubs in Lesotho’s elite league that do not have a sponsor. They incur heavy costs to get through a season and the money has to come from the pockets of club administrators or well-wishers.

The club’s coffers are not enough to pay player salaries and they are also unable to hold on to their best players when bigger clubs come knocking. Seoli said Swallows need to have more income streams to combat their challenges.

“Even if you are running a Premier League without paying players at all and only giving them transport and food, you still need M300 000. You can imagine where that money came from, it came from you (supporters) in different ways,” he said.

“We need to have different streams of revenue, if we subscribe as supporters that is the first one, if we play our games here at home, that is another one. Unfortunately, we had to play in Nyakosoba (last season) but we are fixing our grounds. We are asking you for help, go there and help,” the Swallows chairman said.

Seoli added that the club is in the process of registering their logo which was designed by a Mazenod native in order to make sure only the club uses it.

Also speaking at the event, Swallows head coach Teele Ntšonyana, who masterminded the club’s top-flight survival after arriving in February, praised the players for their courage but he warned them not to be dragged into a relegation dogfight again next season.

“To me you are like heroes and I want to thank you guys and the management that remembered that it was important to tell you that you are important,” Ntšonyana said.

“But, let me remind you of the big one – we are not here to fight another relegation. Next season I am asking you to show up from the beginning of the season.”

Swallows Awards:
Most Disciplined Player
Refiloe Qhobosheane
Player’s Player of the Year
Refiloe Qhobosheane
Supporter’s Player of the Year
Mohau Khali
Most Improved Player of the Year
Tanki Tsibela
Top Scorer
Mohau Khali
Supporter of the Year
Thabo Moeketse
Presidential Award
Mokone Moshe

Tlalane Phahla