Moorosi Tsiane
THE Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) last weekend inducted 10 District Women’s Football Coordinators in Maseru.
The coordinators are expected to help improve the standard of women’s football.
LeFA information officer, Mikia Kalati, said the 10 were expected to collaborate with the football mother body in developing women’s football across the country.
“The coordinators have been roped in to assist in increasing female participation at all levels of women’s football by organising women’s youth and grassroots programmes,” Kalati said.
“They are also expected to organise district competitions in collaboration with women’s football programmes developed by the LeFA technical department.”
Kalati said this was a follow up to programmes that LeFA started last year by handing over playing gear to over 80 women’s football teams in all the districts except for Qacha’s Nek.
“The numbers of women’s football teams are increasing and the coordinators will focus on creating competitions for youths in the grassroots while also ensuring that the already existing teams remain active. In the past, some were only active occasionally.
“So, this is just a continuation of that programme because what all the coordinators must do is go back to their different districts and work on the development of women’s football. They must ensure that there are running district leagues while also monitoring the grassroots and youth programmes,” he said.
The LeFA technical department is also working on creating a second-tier league for the Women Super League to improve the level of competition in the elite league, he said.
“Plans are already in the pipeline for the second-tier league because we must ensure that the level of competition improves in the Super League. So, there will be relegation and promotion. Also, having active teams in the grassroots across the country will help with talent identification for our national teams.
“They also have a responsibility to create a platform for women who want to get into sport either through coaching, refereeing and administration of football,” Kalati said.
