sports

March 21, 2019

3 min read

Do or die for Likuena

Do or die for Likuena

Metro Audio Articles

Catch our weekly audio news daily only on Metro Radio Podcast News.

listen now

The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) has called upon the nation to rally behind the senior national side Likuena and give it the moral support as well as pray for it ahead of the crunch 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group L qualifiers against Cape Verde.

This crunch encounter will be played in Cape Verde on Sunday afternoon. Speaking at the media briefing on Tuesday, Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) President Advocate Salemane Phafane called on the entire nation to fully rally behind Likuena as well as pray hard in order to see the team turn a new page by qualifying for the continental finals.


He said it is rare for Likuena to reach this stage where it is left with a final game to win in order to qualify for the AFCON finals to be staged in Egypt in June to July this year. “Let us be fully behind our national team as they stand a better chance to qualify than ever before,” he commented. Adv. Phafane KC thanked the association together with the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, the premier league, clubs for releasing their players and the media to see Likuena where it is now. He said LeFA has promised the players incentives if they qualify with win or draw against the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde. “If they draw they will get M6000 and another M6000 in addition to their normal allowances,” he added.
 

Enjoy our daily newsletter from today

Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.

The president said for preparations alone, the association splashed M400,000 for this game, adding that air tickets cost the association M700,000. Likuena will take 31 hours from O.R. Tambo International via Doha and Casablanca before getting to their destination. The President said Likuena and Tanzania as well as Cape Verde have equal chances of qualifying for the finals if they win their final matches which will be played at the same time on Sunday while group L leaders Uganda has already qualified. Adv. Phafane KC said even though they did not send a spy in Cape Verde to check the facilities, they have done their homework and know where they are going to
stay, training facilities as well as weather conditions.


However, he said they will be ready to face whatever challenges they might come across. He said should they qualify for the AFCON finals, they will be ready to prepare the team even though they do not have enough finances. Likuena is in group L and sits on third position behind Uganda and Tanzania while Cape Verde sit at the basement of the log table. LeFA has beefed up the technical team with coaches coordinator Seephephe 'Mochine' Matete, Technical Director and former Likuena coach Leslie Notsi as well as former Technical Director and Likuena assistant coach Lehlohonolo Thotanyane, who spend time with the team at its camp in Pretoria. The trio returned home on Wednesday when Likuena left for the island Cape Verde, after spending a week in Pretoria, at the High Performance centre where nutrition, training facilities are of world class. Only two teams from each group qualify for the AFCON finals with the hosts automatically qualifying for the showpiece. Meanwhile, Likuena played a training camp against South Africa's national side u-20 team Amajita on Monday and drew 1-1.

 

Lena

Share the story

METRO WEATHER FORECAST