Africa-Press – Lesotho. It has been an eventful year in sports in Lesotho that has seen ups and downs for federations, athletes and supporters. As the year nears its end, we look back on the stories that made the headlines in 2023.
January
The football fraternity started the year on a sour note as attacks on match officials took root and became the order of the day. The attacks on referees, which have continued into the 2023/24 campaign, first started when three Mokhotlong LMPS players assaulted a referee after losing to Black Five in a B Division league match.
The players were reportedly infuriated by the referee’s on-field decisions and pounced when he was on his way home. In a senseless act, the trio ganged up on the helpless referee and beat him to a pulp.
February
For the first time ever, the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) announced that the Vodacom Premier League, Women’s Super League as well as the A Division would be streamed around the world. The ground-breaking development for local football came after the association partnered with football’s world governing body, FIFA, to broadcast live matches on its new digital platform, FIFA+.
March
The Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) angered the Lesotho Boxing Association (LEBA) by denying the boxing federation’s request to access a training hall at Setsoto Stadium. The LSRC refused to grant LEBA permission to use the facility because they had turned the hall into a storage space and that meant the national team could not train.
April
Perhaps one of the most interesting stories of the year came in April when Mazenod outfit Swallows picked a fight with the Premier League and sponsors Econet over the voting results for Econet’s inaugural People’s Cup. The tournament featured four clubs that garnered the most votes from a public SMS vote.
After finishing fifth in voting behind Linare and missing out on a spot in the top four slots by just 50 votes, Swallows furiously accused Econet and the league of lacking fairness and transparency.
However, the case eventually evaporated into thin air after Econet insisted the votes were correct.
May
Tennis legend Roger Federer made a memorable three-day trip to Lesotho to see how far the schools his foundation, the Roger Federer Foundation, is helping have come. Regarded as one of the greatest tennis players and athletes of his generation, Federer was making his first-ever trip to the Mountain Kingdom.
While in the country, he checked on his School Readiness Initiative implemented by the Roger Federer Foundation in 2019 in partnership with the Network for Child Development in Lesotho (NECDOL).
June
In a move that surprised no one in football, LEFA sacked Veselin Jelusic as Lesotho coach after a 1-0 defeat to Comoros in a 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The Serbian born Jelusic was fired after just 16 months in charge of Likuena during which time he was only able to register three wins in 10 official games. Leslie Notši was roped in to lead Likuena on an interim basis, a title he has held for the rest of the year.
July
July was the highlight of the year for the national team as Likuena made it to the final of the COSAFA Cup for the first time in 20 years. Likuena fought valiantly in the final in Durban, South Africa before falling 1-0 to Zambia thanks to a 78th minute winner by Moyela Libamba.
However, we could have been talking differently had Motebang Sera’s goal not been incorrectly disallowed for offside when the score was still tied at 0-0.
August
In September, Lesotho captain Basia Makepe announced his retirement from international football after leading the national team to the COSAFA Cup final. Makepe is now exclusively focused on club football for Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) in the Vodacom Premier League.
Also in August, Former Likuena star Bokang ‘Lefty’ Mothoana announced his retirement from the game after a 20-year glittering career, which started in the dusty streets of Sea Point.
September
Who can forget when Linare players rebelled against the club’s management and refused to train for a few days because of money disputes?
The players were aggrieved that management deducted M200 from their monthly wages without any prior notice or explanation.
Management said the deduction was because of towels that allegedly went missing at a hotel where Linare were staying when the club travelled to Botswana in August for a pre-season tournament.
October
Mehalalitoe captain Boitumelo Rabale was voted the ‘Best Player of the Tournament’ at the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League in Ivory Coast after playing an instrumental role in guiding her South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, to the final.
Rabale went on to score in the final as Sundowns beat Morocco’s SC Casablanca 3-0 and she was named the ‘Player of The Match’.
November
In November, the football fraternity was left mourning the death of Lioli vice-president and LEFA national executive committee (NEC) member Mothoalo Mothoalo. Mothoalo had a long battle with illness and died in hospital in Bloemfontein.
December
For the first time in seven years, Lioli are set to end the calendar year at the top of the Premier League table.
It has been a remarkable revival for ‘Tse Nala’ under Motheo Mohapi who took over as coach in September. His first four months in charge could not have gone any better. Lioli are unbeaten and in contention to win their first league title since 2016.
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