Africa-Press – Lesotho. 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.
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