MASERU – Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) have taken a healthy lead in the race to take part in this year’s Vodacom Soccer Spectacular tournament.
According to results released last week by the tournament’s sponsors, Vodacom Lesotho, LCS had taken a commanding lead with 11 123 votes.
If the club wins the right to take part in the competition such a decision would represent a major coup for the correctional side that last year failed to make it into the Top Eight.
Vodacom Lesotho is sponsoring the tournament to the tune of M1 million and eight teams that receive the highest votes from fans will get the right to take part in the tournament. Voting is by SMS.
The tournament is open to 32 teams in the premier league and lower division.
Premier league giants Matlama were on Friday placed second on the voting lists with 1 482 votes.
Defending champions Likhopo are currently placed seventh.
Masheshena, who won the first Vodacom Soccer Spectacular in 2008, took the lead when voting lines were opened earlier last month August.
Voting lines will be closed on October 4.
The tournament is set to roar into life on October 27 with the top eight clubs vying for the M360 000 first prize.
The final is set for November 27.
LCS public relations officer, Moseme Moseme, told the Lesotho Times they were happy with the voting.
“Many mistakes happened last year and we did not qualify for the Soccer Spectacular,” Moseme said on Tuesday.
“The bottom line is that we under-estimated and at the end of the day we got hurt by failing to qualify for the tournament.”
Moseme said they apologised to the supporters for last year’s failure to qualify for the tournament and are happy that fans had started voting for Masheshena.
“We apologised to the supporters and by the look of things, they have forgiven us and have started showing their support for the team again.”
He said this had helped boost morale in the Masheshena camp.
“The spirit is high and everybody is looking forward to all the activities that LCS will be engaged in this year.
“We however have a problem because we have just too many activities this year.
“The team will be competing in the Top 4 (Independence Cup), Caf Champions League, Soccer Spectacular and the league,” Moseme said.
“So everyone can see that we have a long and tough road because we want to do well in all the tournaments that we will be competing in,” he said.
