THE year 2023 has been good for Boitumelo ‘Queen’ Rabale as far as women’s football is concerned on the African continent.

The Lesotho-born player, captain, and Mamelodi Sundowns ladies star’s achievements are incomparable in the history of local football in general.

Rabale was last Saturday named the Hollywoodbets Super League Player of the Season in South Africa for the second time in a row, after winning the accolade for the first time last season.

The 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League Player of the Season accolade came after Rabale was named the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) Women’s Champions League Best Player last month.

This, after Rabale helped Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies win both the CAF Women’s Champions League and the Hollywoodbets Super League Player of the Season.  

Football experts in the country praise Rabale for her achievements and for raising Lesotho’s flag high on the continent.

“I would like to congratulate Boitumelo on her achievements,” says former President of the Women’s Football Committee, Maleshoane Mokhathi.

“In spite of our aggressiveness on the pitch, our country is normally looked down on by the so-called super powers. We are the laughing stock of other people, but Rabale has brought back our dignity.”

Mokhathi further says: “She has shown hard work and determination to achieve her goals. She has shown that there are no barriers out there, but we create barriers that do not let us reach our goals. This should be a lesson to us as a country to be proud of the little that we have (infrastructure, level of coaching, etc.) and to use that to our advantage.”

Rabale, Mokhathi says, proved to the South Africans that Basotho are a nation to be reckoned with.

“She has shown South Africans that we are a nation to be reckoned with. She is showing the world that many more Basotho players need to be put out there and challenged to become professional football players.”

Mokhathi says Rabale opened the doors, adding that it is now up to the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) to explore collaborations that could be helpful in the development of football and talent in the country.

“Football is serious business, and with Rabale putting Lesotho on the international stage, we might attract new investors.”

Kick4Life women’s manager, Thato Sentje, also applauds Rabale for winning the double.

“I would like to congratulate Boitumelo for this great achievement and the inspiration,” says Sentje.

“Her achievements came as a result of international exposure, and I so wish our women’s football could get sponsors so that our football could be on the international calendar.”

Sentje, who is also the former Kick4Life women’s player, says Lesotho has the potential to produce many players like Rabale.

“We can produce other players like Boitumelo because there is a lot of talent in this country, and I like to encourage our young girls who love football to start at an early age like Boitumelo did.

“We are very proud of her, and she should keep up the hard and good work she is doing.” 

Former Mehalalitoe goalkeepers’ coach, Tšepo Mathetha, says Rabale always exceeded their expectations.

“Rabale has exceeded our expectations on many occasions. She is a consistent player,” says Mathetha.

“We congratulate her for winning both the CAF Women’s Championships League Best Player accolade and the Hollywoodbets Super League Player of the Season Award.”

Lesotho Women's Super League chairman, Phosholi Phosholi, says Basotho must be proud of Rabale.

“We must be proud of her achievement because she is the only player in the history of our football who has achieved that much, winning both the Africa's Best Player (CAF Women’s Champions League Best Player) award and the Player of the Season award in the South African women’s top-tier league,” says Posholi.