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Kick4Life revolution continues

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MASERU – The Kick4Life revolution continues.
One week after confirming Bob Mafoso as the club’s new coach, the Old Europa side continued their wheeling and dealing by adding two young talents in Tšeliso Botsane, from Econet Premier League counterparts Sefotha-fotha, and Paballo Mafika who has been signed from Butha-Buthe B-Division outfit Litšehlo.
The signings are part of a revamp at Kick4Life as the club simultaneously looks to get younger and challenge for silverware next season.

The capture of Lesotho Under-20 starlet Botsane in particular is a coup for Kick4Life.
Tracked by Premiership giants such as Bantu, Lioli and Matlama, Botsane is a highly-rated prospect and was one of last season’s breakout stars as he helped Sefotha-fotha survive their first-ever Econet Premier League campaign.

Last December, Botsane – who can play across all midfield positions – also helped the Makoanyane XI reach the final of the 2017 COSAFA Under-20 Championships before falling to South Africa.
Blessed with an impressive engine and eye for goal, Botsane has been knocking on the Likuena door in recent months and the move to Kick4Life could also boost his international prospects.
Mafika, meanwhile, is a tough tackling defender who will add an insurance policy for aging stars such as Likano Teele, Moruti Thamahane and Thabo Masualle.
Kick4Life director of football Chris Bullock said the club is delighted with the capture of the promising duo.

“We are happy to announce our new signings being Paballo Mafika and Tšeliso Botsane from Litšehlo and Sefotha-fotha (respectively),” Bullock said.
“We have been following their progress for a year now. We needed to reinforce defence and midfield.”
Bullock hinted at further signings as Kick4Life look to build around a solid team that is spearheaded by 2017/18 Econet Premier League golden boot winner Nkoto Masoabi.
“(Botsane and Mafika) are both coming to Kick4Life on two-year contracts,” Bullock said.

“We have other targets and we are expecting more players to join our team, but we are happy to have started with these two then others will follow as time goes.”
Bullock also touched on Mafoso’s elevation to the club’s head coach role.
Mafoso was originally hired early last month to become Leslie Notši’s assistant coach.

However, two weeks ago Notši was appointed as the Lesotho Football Association’s technical director.
At the time of Mafoso’s addition Kick4Life looked certain to challenge for the league title after the former Bantu assistant joined Notši to form a coaching dream team.
Kick4Life, of course, finished sixth last season after coming fourth in 2017 and many at the club see a window of opportunity for the club to kick on with a squad that may be a major signing or two away from being a genuine title contender.

Bullock, however, said he doesn’t want to put Mafoso under pressure.
“I don’t like setting mandates for coaches, to be honest,” he said.

“We can only sit down and talk a week prior to the start of the league season (at the end of August), not put pressure on the team,” Bullock added.
“We will review as time goes on because Mafoso still needs to feel comfortable. If need be then we will find him an assistant coach to help. I believe in not putting pressure on coaches. The support to the coach is still going to be the same, nothing has changed.”

For his part, Mafoso said he wants to make more additions to his squad.
“I am happy (with the squad) but we are still looking forward to filling certain positions where there is a need; we will make reinforcements, we will look to have one or two more players,” Mafoso said. “The squad that is here otherwise is very good and I am glad to have started with these two (Botsane and Mafika) and other players from last season.”

Nkheli Liphoto

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LMPS storm into People’s Cup

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Vodacom Premier League outfit Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS) are lauding their supporters for voting the club into the coveted People’s Cup where the winner will walk away R650,000 richer.

Four top-flight teams – Bantu, Linare, Matlama and LMPS – will compete at the Bochebeletsane Stadium in Mantšonyane on Saturday to capture the second edition of Lesotho’s richest cup competition.

The competitors were voted into the People’s Cup via a month-long SMS voting competition that closed last Friday and LMPS finished fourth with 231 001 to give them a surprise shot at the jackpot alongside traditional powerhouses Linare, Matlama and Bantu.

Their fans’ efforts mean LMPS will be making their debut in the tournament sponsored by Econet Telecom Lesotho and the Sam Matekane Foundation (SMF) in partnership with Molefi Global Agencies (MGA).

It is a life-changing opportunity for ‘Simunye’ and LMPS’s supporters’ chairperson, Tlali Monyaka, applauded the team’s fans and revealed the club have organised transport to carry the fans on the roughly 121 kilometres trip to Mantšonyane.

Each fan will pay M50 to LMPS’s communication and marketing manager (CMM), Mosiuoa Lekhooana, and club official Itumeleng Phasumane via eco-cash and their payment will book a spot on the ‘Simunye’ supporters’ bus leaving on Saturday morning at 6am.

Monyaka said the fans’ efforts should not end with just voting the team into the People’s Cup.
He encouraged LMPS supporters to “finish what they started” by accompanying the team to Bochebeletsane and “boosting the strength of the players and their spirit to win the cup.”

“Early bird catches the worm,” Monyaka added.

“It is wise for the supporters to start paying for that transport now. There will be no cash that the CMM and Phasumane will receive on (Saturday) at the door (of the bus), so for them not to stay behind, they should pay now so that we can all go and give support to our team that we trust in.”

“We are not strict with the attire,” Monyaka continued.

“Everyone can wear anything that has the LMPS colours: yellow, white or blue, or (they can wear) old shirts that have the LMPS logo, we will not mind.”

Last year the competitors in the inaugural People’s Cup were Linare, Lioli, Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) and eventual champions, Bantu.
LMPS legend Mofammere Molefe said the fact that LMPS are making their debut and have a chance at the coveted cash bonanza is evidence that the team is growing.

“This is a first for the team,” Molefe said. “We are very thankful that the team is growing. The club should know that we are behind them and supporting them in whatever they do.”

For his part, LMPS vice-president Ezekiel Senti said the LMPS family is excited and ready to fight on Saturday.

‘Simunye’ play in the day’s second semi-final against defending champions Bantu at 11am with the winner advancing to face Linare or Matlama in the final later in the day.
Even if LMPS don’t win the grand prize, at worst they will pocket M200,000 for one day’s work in Matšonyane.

2024 People’s Cup Prize money:
Winners: R650,000
Runners up: R300,000
Third place: R200,000
Fourth place: R200,000

Premier League Prizes:
1. M 650,000
2. M 330,000
3. M 210,000
4. M 155,000
5. M 145,000
6. M 115,000
7. M 100,000
8. M 95,000
9. M 90,000
10. M 85,000
11. M 80,000
12. M 75,000
13. M 70,000
14. M 65,000
15. M 60,000
16. M 55,000

For context, a team would have to finish third over the course of the Premier League season to pocket a similar amount. LMPS are fifth in the league and are on course to receive M145,000 at the end of the campaign for their efforts.

“The prize money in the (People’s Cup) competition is very motivating,” Senti said.
“We highly appreciate the supporters for finding it really important for us to compete for these prizes within the premier league season. We are not going to disappoint our supporters.”

People’s Cup fixtures:
Saturday, 16 March
Linare v Matlama at 9:00am
LMPS v Bantu at 11:00am
Final at 3:00pm

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Notši oils ‘war machine’

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Lesotho interim coach Leslie Notši has announced a 23-man squad to face Ethiopia in a pair of international friendly games next week.
The matches will be played next week Thursday and Sunday in Ethiopia and they will serve as Lesotho’s preparation for June’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

Likuena started their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign last year with a 1-1 draw against Nigeria and a goalless stalemate against Benin in Group C.
Lesotho are fourth in the six-team group where only the top team will qualify for the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In total, there are nine qualifying groups and the winner of each will qualify for the World Cup while the four best group runners-up will go to a play-off round to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Likuena started preparing for June’s crucial qualifiers on February 5 with weekly sessions involving locally based players until Notši announced a 23-man squad this week.
The selection will assemble on Sunday at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena and leave for Ethiopia next week Tuesday.

The squad includes nine players based in South Africa, two in Botswana and twelve locally based players.
Notši said the players have been selected on the merit of their performances at club level.

The Likuena squad has one new face in Majara Relebetsoe who plays for Tubatse FC in South Africa’s ABC Motsepe league.
Three players – Motlomelo Mkwanazi, Neo Mokhachane and Katleho Makateng – will join up with the team in South Africa next Tuesday before the squad jets off to Ethiopia.
Notši said training has gone well and Likuena had been assembling twice a week, on Monday and Tuesday, until he made this week’s selection.

“I am very grateful to the (Vodacom Premier League) teams for allowing the players to be in the preparations,” he said.

Notši said playing Ethiopia away from home would benefit Likuena.
Ethiopia are ranked 42nd in Africa and 145th in the world while Likuena are 44th continentally and 148th globally. The two teams have recent history and last met in 2022.

“It is true that our local players may have a desire to play their friendly games in their country but the conditions of our grounds do not allow us,” Notši said.

“I can say for now, that playing away from home has helped my players with their mental strength and they are gaining international exposure, so we are growing,” he said.

Notši said next week’s double ties against Ethiopia will also give Likuena an opportunity to gauge their standards for the COSAFA Cup which should be held in July.

Likuena squad for Ethiopia:
Goalkeepers:
Sekhoane Moerane – Orbit FC (SA)
Teboho Ratibisi – LDF FC
Mosoeu Seahlolo – LCS FC

Defenders:
Motlomelo Mkwanazi – BDF Fc (Botswana)
Rethabile Rasethuntša – Linare FC
Fusi Matlabe – Mpheni Defenders (SA)
Thato Sefoli – Upington City (SA)
Majara Relebetsoe – Tubatse FC (SA)
Thabo Matšoele – Bantu FC
Ntsane Mojalefa – Celtics (SA)

Midfielders:
Lisema Lebokollane – Linare FC
Lehlohonolo Matsau – LDF FC
Thabo Lesaoana – Bantu FC
Tlotliso Phatsisi – Black Leopards (SA)
Tšoarelo Bereng – Orbit FC (SA)
Tšepo Toloane – LDF FC
Lehlohonolo Fothoane – Bantu FC
Neo Mokhachane – VTM (Botswana)
Tumelo Khutlang – Lioli FC
Tsepang Sefali – Linare FC

Strikers:
Jane Thabantšo – Matlama FC
Sera Motebang – Royal AM (SA)
Katleho Makateng – Richards Bay (SA)

Relebohile Tšepe

 

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Naughty Boys player stabbed to death

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Vodacom Premier League outfit Naughty Boys are dealing with the agonizing pain of the death on Sunday of key player Tšepo Mosaeeea.
Mosaeeea was stabbed to death in Ha-Ramohapi where he stayed in a rented house after he reportedly tried to break up an altercation between groups of men who were fighting over women.

His death came just hours after bottom side Naughty Boys beat Machokha 3-0 in the Vodacom Premiership in a potentially season-saving victory.
The win was a crucial boost to their survival hopes but just hours later tragedy engulfed the club.

Mosaeea was recognised as one of Naughty Boys’ most talented players by his teammates and coaches.
The club said his death has caused a deep wound in their hearts that will never heal.

“The space Tšepo left is something we are not sure will ever be filled because he grew up in this team from when he started playing football,” said Naughty Boys’ communications and marketing manager Moeketsi Sefatja.

“He took Naughty boys from the B-Division to the A-Division, and then from the A-Division to the premier league. The goal that helped the team to make it to the premier league was scored by him in 2022 when we beat Limkokwing University 1-0. He was very good at scoring and most of our goals were scored by him,” he said.

Mosaeea’s death is even more painful because of the numerous tragedies that Naughty Boys have dealt with over the past year.
Earlier this year another player, Fusi Mochai, also lost his life at a young age while club president Khotsofalang Possa died last year.
Sefatja said Mosaeea played “very well” in Sunday’s win over Machokha and had been one of the club’s best performers this season.

“Mosaeea started the game on a very high note and did very well. Everyone could see that he is back with the good things he is known for and people could not stop embracing him,” Sefatja said.

“I knew about his death at around 5am,” he added.

“I received a phone call from one of the people living in Ha-Ramohapi asking if I had heard of what had happened. I immediately left home to go to his place but met his family on their way to the hospital and went back with them (to the hospital). We got to the hospital and his death was confirmed,” he said.

Sefatja said Mosaeea’s death is a very big loss to the team, his friends, family and everyone who knew him.

“It hurts even more because he was not even fighting with anyone but was only trying to stop people who were having an argument and instead they chose to kill him,” Sefatja said.

“The situation has really become a problem because both our player’s deaths happened in their village (Ha-Ramohapi) and all these acts are done by people from the same village. These people have turned Ha-Ramohapi into an unfriendly environment for the villagers,” he said.

Moipone Makholinyane

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