Mikia Kalati
ALL roads led to Setsoto Stadium on Saturday as soccer lovers thronged the arena for the double header featuring four Premier League big guns in the first matches of the New Year.
On the field of play, both matches lived up to expectations as Likhopo held defending champions Bantu to a goalless draw.
In the second match, it was goals galore as Matlama clinched a 3-1 victory over rivals Lioli to put their titles hopes back on track.
However, the football fiesta was nearly spoiled in the second match due to poor lighting at the stadium, which for me was a disgrace for a game of that magnitude.
This is not for the first that this has happened and it again brought to the fore several issues that need to change in the running of the stadium.
I have concluded that the problem at the stadium is the management.
I know a lot of people within the sports fraternity have complained about several issues which have led the stadium to appear as a spaza shop.
I was reliably informed that Likhopo had forked out a fee in the region of M17 000 to have access to all facilities on Saturday but they were also shocked to find that the floodlights were dim on the day while some of the toilets were unavailable.
Usually, clubs pay M7 000 to use the stadium during the day but an extra M10 000 was paid to secure the floodlights as the second match was going to kick-off at 6pm.
If the floodlights were fully operation for the festivals that were held at the same venue during the festive, why are they not available for a soccer match that runs for only 90 minutes compared to other events that go throughout the night?
It was during the tenure of the late Sports Minister Kabelo Mafura, that he handed over Setsoto Stadium and other facilities to the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC) and the issue of stadium management seems to be worsening.
Local soccer clubs and most of the associations have encountered problems with staff manning the stadium and I wonder why nothing has changed. Since the LSRC is now in charge, why can they not take over completely instead of the staff being from the ministry?
I think it’s time that changes are made so that a new capable team is assigned to the job.
The match commissioner and all his panel of referees on Saturday are also to blame for allowing such a big match to continue under such conditions of poor lighting.
The rules and regulations that govern the game are very clear about how bright floodlights should be for matches that are played in the evening.
These are the little things that continue to take our sports backwards when we seek progress instead. And it was humiliating to note the tourists who were in the stands for the match.
