Africa-Press – Lesotho. Makoanyane XI Coach Bafokeng Mohapi and Bahlabani Coach Motolo Makepe began a country-wide scouting in preparation for building the under 17 and 20 national team players who will compete at the
upcoming Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) tournaments scheduled for December 2021 in ESwatini. Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) through
a media statement issued on Thursday noted that Makepe had in the past weeks visited Mohale’s Hoek to watch matches against selected teams from the Southern
region; Qacha’s Nek, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek, Mafeteng and Maseru. These teams were selected during the LeFA National Under-15 League in 2020. In an exclusive interview with Informative
Sport on Friday Mohapi indicated that the programme determination is to strictly search for the talent in all districts from the A-Division teams that
would be useful to build the Under -20 team. “We are looking for approximately 40 players born in 2002 to 2005 as per the constitution of the B-Division has stated that
the teams have to include Under 20 players. This number will decrease until we have reached the exact number recommended to partake in COSAFA games. Therefore
now we are scouting the talent knowing exactly what kind of players are needed according to each team’s players registry,” he explained. Mohapi enlightened that the ongoing scouting
programme begun in Mohale’s Hoek on May 22nd -23rd whereby he was inspecting the Lesotho Post Bank 2020/2021 League in the Southern stream in view of the epic game clashes
between Majantja and CF Rydo, and Machokha versus Qacha’s Nek Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) respectively. For the second round of scouting in the Northern region on May 29th Mohapi inspected the games between Sefotha-Fotha
and Butha-Buthe Warriors in Berea, on Sunday 30th he viewed Lilemela and Sky Batallion while Nakepe viewed the game between Rydo and Naughty Boys in the Northern Stream in Mafeteng.
He said the inspection will take some time as they are looking forward to survey two games every weekend until they find the talent they are looking for.
He said they will then hold a camp for selected players at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena as part of the preparations. Asked about how the scouting programme will improve the team’s performance, Mohapi said in the past years they realized that the
players who participated in this tournament were playing in the Premier League whereby most of them were not that active due to not participating regularly in
the games. “The players in the A-Division teams are more active compared to the ones in the Premier League because they are often engaged in the games. However, this programme will help us to be vibrant throughout the tournament and also will assist us to gain match fitness easily,” Mohapi noted.
