Africa-Press – Lesotho. Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies head coach Lengana Nkhethoa says the Women Super League (WSL) champions are aiming to reach the semi-finals of this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers.
The champions have been enrolled in this year’s edition and will be making their second appearance at the competition to be held in Durban, South Africa, from August 30 to September 8.
LDF Ladies have been drawn in Group A with defending champions Green Buffaloes of Zambia, Double Action Ladies from Botswana as well as Ntopwa of Malawi.
Group B is made up of inaugural 2021 champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Olympic De Moroni from Comoros, Costa Do Sol of Mozambique and Young Buffaloes from Eswatini.
Two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals and if LDF Ladies manage to get out of their group, that will represent a big improvement from 2021 when they were eliminated from the group stages with just a point.
LDF will have the honour of opening the tournament when they go head-to-head with Ntopwa on August 30 at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium. Nkhethoa said that unlike in their debut tournament in 2021, this time around LDF will be competing.
In 2021, LDF finished bottom of their group with one draw, two losses and no win from their three games. Nkhethoa said they are determined to improve and prove themselves on the international stage after dominating the WSL for the past five years.
“The teams we are grouped with are a bit far (ahead) in terms of women’s football but as LDF we are not behind, for us to be recognised internationally we have to show ourselves,” Nkhethoa said.
“What I can say is that we are preparing hard to go there to compete this time, we should not be there to participate anymore, our presence must be felt,” he said.
The LDF team has been playing friendly matches to prepare for the competition and the schedule of their players has gotten even tighter. LDF make up the core of Lesotho’s national women’s team which is also preparing for the COSAFA Women’s Cup next month.
Straight after the Champions League qualifiers, the COSAFA Women’s Cup begins. However, before that the focus is on the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers and LDF can take inspiration from Likuena’s runners-up performance last month at the COSAFA Cup which was also held in Durban.
The winners of the COSAFA qualifiers will earn their spot in the CAF Women’s Champions League and will represent the region against the best women’s teams on the continent later in the year.
“It’s not the first time we go there, we have experience, even though it’s not too much, but with our preparations we should at least get out of the group.
It’s our aim to get out (of the group) and reach the semi-finals,” Nkhethoa said. “There are two groups and four teams will proceed to the next round. Getting to the final would be a bonus but we want to get out of the group.”
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