The People’s Cup has seen a dramatic decline in voting numbers this year, with just over 400 000 votes cast compared to last year’s 1.3 million.
The drop has sparked debate amongst the fans over the reasons behind it, with some pointing to a shorter voting period as a major factor. Econet Telecom Lesotho, which oversees the voting process, opened the lines on February 19, a week before the tournament’s official launch on February 25, and closed voting on March 3—giving supporters only a brief window to vote.
The decline in bulk voting has also reignited concerns raised by Lesotho Football Association’s (LEFA) Secretary General, Mokhosi Mohapi, regarding potential money laundering risks in the voting process.
Mohapi had previously questioned how an average football fan can afford to do a M10 000 bulk voting at a go and still have money to attend games.
In past editions of the People’s Cup, we have seen teams struggling to provide basic necessities for players but somehow managing to accumulate hundreds of thousands of votes.
In an economy where many fans already stretch their budgets to attend games, buy tickets, and team merchandise, bulk voting for fans voting seemed financially unrealistic.
Some clubs reportedly borrowed money in hopes of securing a top-four finish through bulk voting, with the expectation to win the competition and repay their debts. The winner’s purse this year is M500 000 which is a significant amount for clubs.
However, when these teams failed to progress in the tournament, they were left to sink in debts—a scenario that has fuelled scepticism over the system. The supporters have also voiced frustration over being repeatedly used as piggybanks, from inflated ticket prices to continuous pay-to-vote tournaments.
Mohapi recently addressed these concerns, emphasising the need for a fair balance between football activities and fan expectations.
“What do we see when we look at football supporters? If we are going to put so much load on them, I am sure we are looking at over 3 million votes so that there is a return on expectation,” he said.
He also expressed a desire to structure tournaments in a way that benefits both clubs and supporters rather than overloading them financially.
“When I see a football fan, I see a stakeholder who is there to witness what I have put (on the field) as a team, not as a person to cover the entire course of whatever football intention I have,” Mohapi said.
“And we are making it more painful by compressing the calendar and expecting them to be there. I long for the day when we are able to spread our activities in such a way that it’s a win-win situation,” he said.
Beyond the voting decline, questions have also been raised about the expansion of the People’s Cup from a four-team event to an eight-team competition.
The tournament was previously seen as an exclusive competition, with teams fiercely competing the SMS voting competition for a place in the final four.
In 2023, Swallows missed out on qualification by just 50 votes to Linare, illustrating how coveted those spots were.
By increasing the tournament to eight teams, organisers may have reduced its prestige.
he sudden change has led some to question whether the tournament’s foundation is too easily altered.
Whether the format will remain the same next year or be adjusted again remains to be seen.
