Football, Confidence and the Fight Against Cervical Cancer

Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe soccer club went into halftime four goals down against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of a regional Under 17 girls’ tournament held in Zimbabwe. By the final whistle, the scoreline had widened to a 5–0 defeat. On paper, it was a one sided result in a competitive youth match.

Yet for Lishoeshoe winger Nteboheleng Leticia Sooane, the outcome on the scoreboard mattered far less than the message the tournament was designed to carry.

The regional competition, hosted in Zimbabwe, was organised to promote awareness and uptake of the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer. The disease kills a woman every two minutes worldwide, with the highest burden falling on Africa, according to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, one of the organisers of the event.

For the 16 year old Sooane, the tournament was not primarily about goals, trophies or medals, but about confidence, education and advocacy. She said the experience helped young players understand the importance of vaccination and empowered them to speak to others in their communities about prevention.

“Participating in the tournament was very good because we had to learn and spread the message even though we did not win the finals,” Sooane said. “So it was a good experience.”

She spoke while waiting to collect her finalist’s medal in a rain soaked stadium in Norton, on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. Around her, players from different countries mingled, united by a shared cause that went beyond sport.

Organisers say using football as a platform helps reach adolescent girls in a relatable and empowering way, combining physical activity with health education. By linking sport to public health messaging, they hope to reduce fear and misinformation around the HPV vaccine and encourage more families to protect girls before they are exposed to the virus.

Despite the heavy defeat, Lishoeshoe’s players left the tournament with a sense of purpose, knowing that their participation contributed to a broader effort to save lives and change attitudes across the region.