Sports

It was an honour, says Notši

Published

4 weeks ago

August 29, 2023

Fresh off a successful outing at the 2023 COSAFA Cup, Likuena interim head coach Leslie Notši says he is honoured to have led Lesotho to the final for the first time in more than two decades.

Notši inspired Likuena to the final of the COSAFA Cup two weeks ago before the national side fell at the final hurdle to Zambia.

Lesotho’s memorable and surprising performance earned Notši the coach of the tournament award to add to his glowing collection of achievements.

Notši believes Likuena would have won the trophy if Motebang Sera’s second half goal in the final had stood. The goal came while Likuena were enjoying a dominant spell of possession and putting Zambia under pressure.

Sera’s goal was wrongly ruled offside by the first assistant, a decision that ultimately changed the destiny of the final.

Speaking to thepost on Tuesday afternoon, Notši said he has not given much thought to the idea of taking over the national job permanently but said he would think about it if it was offered.

Notši said he is grateful to have served the national team and thanked the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) for trusting him and his technical team.

“I am happy to do the job I was asked to do, I have to give credit to the technical team, it was teamwork,” Notši said.

“Maybe if there is an approach (for me to take over permanently) I would think about it, but for now I am honoured to have served my country,” he said.

Sound preparations for the tournament and tactical discipline were key components to Likuena reaching the final – their first appearance in the showpiece game since 2000.

Notši took over from Serbia’s Veselin Jelusic after disappointing results in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Notši said Likuena’s technical team sat down to plan, identify their weaknesses and also build on what they were good at.

Notši and his staff spoke with players in detail about what is expected of them and the importance of having confidence and patriotism.

“We realised that confidence was low in the team, and we spoke with them to instil confidence as a group and individually,” he said.

“A controlled confidence and work on things we talked about. The first game was important and the second game too, the things we talked about showed,” he said.

Lesotho topped Group C and progressed to the semi-finals with a game to spare after beating Mauritius (2-0) and Mozambique (1-0). Likuena lost their third group game, 4-2 to Angola, but it did not matter.

“The third game, with one leg in the semi-final, was a chance to give other players game time, introduce the new players (and) that’s why we saw the likes of (Mohlomi) Makhetha, Hlomelang (Lebina), (Seahlolo) Mosoeu. They raised their hands by being competitive and by not cracking under pressure,” he said.

Likuena then beat Malawi on penalties in the semi-finals to reach the final.

Notsi said a successful national side is built in three tiers. There are ‘senior pros’, players that have been in the national team for a long time and bring invaluable experience. There are ‘middle age’ players, those that are not yet seniors but are on their path to taking the baton. This group includes players such as Thabang Malane. Then there are the young players that are still being introduced to the national team set up.

Notši said Likuena showed resilience, took the game to their opponents and showed that they have confidence in themselves. This continued all the way to the final against Zambia where Likuena came agonisingly close to tasting glory against their fancied opponents.

“We have a team that cares, they are angry when they lose,” Notši said.

“We need to keep reminding them what it means to be a national team player. When the national anthem plays, it’s about patriotism and pride,” he said.

“Likuena has to play against big teams on the continent, learn and grow and be competitive, then sit down and assess which areas need improving. Playing these international tournaments is a way to grow for the team and players,” he said.

For Likuena to have reached the final was down to a collective effort as Notši insisted, however, there were some standout performances in the team.

One that comes to mind is goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane’s heroics in the semi-final against Malawi where he saved three penalties in the penalty-shootout and then scored the winning penalty to send Likuena into the final

Another player who stood out was Neo Mokhachane. He became Likuena’s source of goals in the first two group games and his speed on the wing meant Likuena were able to attack and go at opponents with incredible pace.

Notši said Mokhachane had a good season in the league and was able to carry his form to the national team.

Notši reiterated that when the league is competitive, it becomes easier to integrate players into Likuena and international football.

“(Mokhachane) played the way we want him and others to play (which is to) use their speed as wingers and get into the opposition box,” Notši said.

“We worked on scoring goals in training. We worked on creating chances and shooting, and the players took that into the tournament,” he added.

Tlalane Phahla

Sports

Mohlolo rescues point for LDF Ladies

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2023

The Post

A last-gasp strike by Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies striker ‘Maseriti Mohlolo rescued a point for the Women’s Super League (WSL) champions against Malawi’s Ntopwa in the opener of their CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers yesterday.

Mohlolo’s goal keeps LDF Ladies in contention to progress to the next round with two teams from the four-team group set to qualify for the semi-finals.

Although LDF Ladies were not outplayed in the game, they missed many chances and their set-pieces left a lot to be desired.
Maybe that can be attributed to a last minute coaching change that saw Pule Khojane replace Lengana Nkhethoa as head coach of a side that won the WSL unbeaten last season.

Speaking after the game, Khojane said even though he realised early on that the Malawian team were tough physically, he still wanted LDF Ladies to play their normal passing game.
In the end, Khojane was left to lament the number of chances his side created but couldn’t convert.
Khojane said that will be a point of emphasis before LDF Ladies step onto the field again tomorrow against Botswana’s Double Action.
Tomorrow’s tie is probably a must-win with the group’s other team being defending champions Green Buffaloes of Zambia and LDF Ladies will need to convert their chances.

“We play with four at the back but with two attacking full backs, most of the time if a team plays long balls like (Ntopwa) we struggle a lot but we don’t change our game. We want to play; we want to go forward.
“That’s why sometimes we made a lot of mistakes when the ball was played high behind our backs but we still wanted to play our game and win. We were just unfortunate not to score more goals but we were playing (well),” Khojane said.

LDF conceded a late goal in the first half and were perhaps lucky to go into the half time break just a goal down.
Before Ntopwa took the lead they were awarded a penalty for a reckless foul in the box but they missed the chance to open the scoring.
LDF recovered in the second that but could not find a way into the goals.

It looked as if Lesotho’s representatives at the regional showpiece would begin their campaign with a defeat. However, Mohlolo rescued the Lesotho champions when she latched onto a poor back pass from a defender. She stole the ball and levelled matters with less than three minutes to go.
There was no time for the LDF to get a winner and they had to settle for a point in their opening group game.
They will now be looking to improve and sharpen their scoring boots for tomorrow’s showdown against Double Action of Botswana.

LDF Ladies fixtures:
August 30
LDF Ladies 1-1 Ntopwa
Friday
Double Action vs. LDF Ladies
Monday
Green Buffaloes vs. LDF Ladies

Tlalane Phahla

Sports

Makepe quits Likuena duty

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2023

The Post

Likuena captain Basia Makepe has retired from international football after leading the senior national team to silver at the recent COSAFA Cup tournament held in Durban, South Africa.
This was the first time since 2000 that Likuena had reached the final of the regional tournament where they lost 1-0 to Zambia.

The Leribe born defender will go down as one of the most decorated defenders in the country having represented his country 87 times and winning several accolades in the process.

Makepe’s leadership skills were spotted from a young age, where he was appointed captain of the national U-20 team, Makoanyane XI by Leslie Notši.
He led by example as Makoanyane XI qualified for the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2011, which in those days was knowns as the African Youth Championship, where the side eliminated countries like Mozambique, South Africa and Kenya to qualify for the tournament.

Makepe won his first Likuena cap in a 2-1 victory over Eswatini during an international friendly match played at Setsoto Stadium in October 2012 and went on to make the squad for the 2013 COSAFA Cup in Zambia.
However, Makepe was an unused substitute at the tournament as Notši went for the tried and tested defenders such as Moitheri Ntobo, Tlali Maile and Thabo Masualle as Likuena reached the semi-finals.

He would later be appointed the Likuena captain as coach Moses Maliehe went for a younger generation at the 2016 COSAFA Cup in Namibia, where Likuena won all their group stage matches but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Shakes Mashaba-coached Bafana Bafana.
Makepe has not only enjoyed success with the national team but won several domestic trophies at Lioli, where he was also handed the captaincy after joining from boyhood club and now defunct Joy FC.

After leaving Lioli, he joined the police outfit, LMPS FC, where he is employed as a police officer and believes he still has a few years left in his tank playing for Simunye, as the police outfit is affectionately known.

“I think I have had a career that you can say was decent and can be accepted as satisfying to the football fraternity,” Makepe said.

“For me I can say it was a good career that has had challenges here and there as well as successes here and there, which started way back with the Under-20 team.

“With Makoanyane XI, we became the second team to qualify for the Africa Youth Championship and fortunately I had the honour of being the captain of that team.”

The 32-year-old, who has come up against the best forwards on the continent from the young Mohamed Salah during the 2011 Under-20 Africa Youth Championship to the likes of Victor Osimhen, Riyad Mahrez, has singled out former Burkina Faso striker Jonathan Pitroipa as the most troublesome opponent he has faced.

“I have come up against the best from this continent from the likes of Salah and others, but I think Pitroipa of Burkina Faso was the most troublesome forward I have come up against,” he said.

“I think the successes with the senior team especially as the captain are many having reached the COSAFA semi-finals a number of times with Likuena and twice going unbeaten in the group stage in Zambia 2013 and Namibia 2016 respectively.

“Being the captain of the team was the cherry on top and getting bronze medal in 2018. I end my chapter with Likuena having played a role in helping the team get to the final for the first time in 23 years,” he said.

Makepe admitted that the 2016 edition of the COSAFA tournament was very special for him as it was the first he captained the side and they won all their group stage matches.

“The COSAFA tournament in Namibia in 2016 stands out for me especially that game against South Africa, which unfortunately we lost on penalties, but it was a good tournament overall,” he said.

“All in all, I think it was a very satisfying career with the national team though you always want more as a player. I’m happy to bow out having helped Likuena re-write history. It’s a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.

“I’m very grateful to all who have supported me throughout my career, my teammates, coaches, administrators and the supporters, who were always by our side and of course the Lesotho Football Association for giving me the opportunities to lead the national team,” he said.

Mikia Kalati

Sports

Notši picks squad for Ivory Coast tie

Published

2 weeks ago

September 12, 2023

The Post

Lesotho interim coach Leslie Notši has named a provisional 27-man squad for the side’s final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Ivory Coast which is scheduled for September 9.
By virtue of being the hosts of next year’s showpiece, Ivory Coast have already qualified for the tournament while Likuena no longer have a chance of joining them after back-to-back defeats with Zambia in June.

With nothing to play with but pride, Likuena can draw inspiration from their performance when the sides met in their first Group H encounter last June which ended in a goalless draw.
The match was played in Soweto and Lesotho’s memorably dogged display against their much more fancied opponents is something Notši’s charges can look to for inspiration.

Several new faces could feature in that return game in Ivory Coast.
Fresh off last month’s COSAFA Cup final display, Notši has called up some fresh blood to bolster the squad such as Khubetsoana Kamela, Tšeliso Botsane and Teboho Letsema who have each represented Lesotho’s junior teams but are yet to make the leap to the senior side.

Notši’s squad also includes the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) trio of Morena Moloi, Lebesa Lebesa and Victor Ferreira who have been called up to the national team set-up for the first time in their careers.
The most surprising inclusion is perhaps that of Ferreira who spent the majority of last season making cameo appearances from the LDF substitutes’ bench.

Speaking with LEFA’s media team, Notši said the new faces are intended to give him depth going into the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN) qualifiers which start in September and are reserved only for locally based players.
It means the handful of Likuena players plying their trade outside the country will be ineligible to play. The first round of the 2024 CHAN qualifiers is set to begin from September 22 to 24.

“We all know that AFCON qualification is out of our reach and the bigger picture is to prepare the team for the CHAN qualifiers, which are coming very soon,” Notši said.
“Most of these boys have come through the ranks playing for our junior national team and it’s the association’s investment that needs to be given a chance to grow,” the Lesotho mentor added.

The 27-man Likuena squad will be trimmed down to a manageable size towards the side’s departure to Ivory Coast, but the core of the players that went to the COSAFA Cup in July are expected to retain their places in the team.
Likuena have a busy schedule ahead with the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers also in the pipeline this year. Notši needs to have as strong a team as possible to compete in all the competitions.

Likuena provisional squad:
Goalkeepers:
Sekhoane Moerane, Teboho Ratibisi, Mosoeu Seahlolo.
Defenders
Rethabile Senkoto, Motlomelo Mkhwanazi, Mohlomi Makhetha, Rethabile Mokokoane, Rethabile Rasethuntša, Lebesa Lebesa, ‘Mellere Lebetša.
Midfielders:
Lisema Lebokollane, Khubetsoana Kamele, Tšeliso Botsane, Lehlohonolo Fothoane, Thabo Lesaoana, Tumelo Makha, Koenehelo Mothala, Tšepang Sefali, Victor Ferreira, Tshwarelo Bereng, Teboho Letsema, Neo Mokhachance, Tšepo Toloane, Morena Moloi.
Forwards:
Thabiso Mari, Jane Thabantšo, Motebang Sera, Katleho Makateng.

Tlalane Phahla