Newly-promoted Swallows are on the up and up... |
Newly-promoted Swallows will
get an early chance to showcase their skills on the national stage when they
take part in this year’s Alliance Winter Challenge.
In April the
Mazenod side won promotion to next season’s Econet Premier League after winning
the A-Division South Stream and a month later Maswai-swai completed a first division double by claiming the
A-Division Top 8 title.
Their success
has earned Swallows their first invite to the pre-season Winter Challenge tournament in July which is sponsored by insurance company, Alliance Insurance.
The
competition was launched in 2015 is contested by the three Premiership clubs
sponsored by Alliance – namely Matlama, Lioli and Lesotho Correctional Service
(LCS) – as well as a fourth invitee.
In 2015’s
debut competition it was Liphakoe the guest team; in 2016 it was Sundawana
while last year it was eventual league winners Bantu who completed the tournament’s
quartet.
Maswai-swai public
relations officer Lekoala Ralekoala said Swallows are excited to be part of the
showpiece for the first time and are determined to prove themselves against
their stellar opponents.
“As a new team
in the (Econet) Premier League we are honoured to be invited for such a big
tournament and even though we are going to face big teams, we are not only
going there to participate but to compete,” Ralekoala said.
Since its
introduction the Alliance Winter Challenge has grown into the country’s
flagship pre-season football tournament. Ralekoala said Swallows hope the
competition will give them the exposure to attract sponsors to help the club in
what will be their first time in the Premier League since 2011.
“We know it will
not be easy to win the cup but if we can play good football then we can
increase our chances of attracting sponsors into the team,” Ralekoala said.
LCS will enter the 2018 Alliance Winter
Challenge as two-time defending champions after winning the title last year and
in 2016. Last year Masheshena beat
Matlama 1-0 in the final.
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