PREMIER League giants Lioli FC have enlisted the services of a new foreign coach to rekindle the side’s vigour in the upcoming 2020/21 season.
sports
Oct. 5, 2020
TEBOHO JAFETA
4 min read
Lioli unveil new coach
Lioli new head coach Thomas Tshabalala
Thomas Tshabalala who is a South African national was unveiled by the TY-based outfit’s newly elected board of directors led by Lebohang Thotanyana at a media briefing that was held at the Alliance Insurance offices in Maseru on Thursday.
Alliance Insurance are Lioli’s official sponsors.
Before he joined Tse-Nala as Lioli are affectionately called, Tshabalala was the head coach of Premier League minnows Lifofane FC of Botha-Bothe.
Lifofane have meanwhile appointed Ghana’s Michael Amoh Platt as their new head coach ahead of the 2020/21 football season. Platt joined the club from the Future Soccer Academy based in Accra, Ghana.
Addressing the media, Thotanyana said Tshabalala has signed an initial one-year performance-based contract with the Lioli.
“We have given him a mandate to restore the image of the club and ensure it competes in the Top 4 bracket and that it does not just add numbers in the Premier League,” the team’s president said.
He showed that the newly elected committee has also signed a number of new players with the intention of restructuring the gold, black and maroon outfit in the new season.
Thotanyana said the team has also bought a new soccer kit which will be officially launched by mid-November.
He was quick to add that although they normally buy new jerseys after every three seasons, this time due to the fact that the team is under reconstruction, they resolved to purchase new outfit now.
The gear consists of the entire playing kit, pants, socks, tracksuits and replica jerseys for the team's followers.
Thotanyana said after engaging several designers for the jersey, they finally selected what they believe is the best design of all.
However, he said the names of the new signings are being temporarily withheld in order to give the new coach a chance to decide which players he really wants in his squad.
Enjoy our daily newsletter from today
Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.
Lioli FC president Lebohang Thotanyane
He promised that they will give Tshabalala full support so that he could do his best to turn the team around in the new season.
Thotanyana also briefed the media on the club's pending cases before court in which two factions are fighting over who the rightful committee to run the club is.
This followed a disputed decision made at the elective annual general meeting that was held on August 30.
Thotanyana also said the new committee has already applied for the case to be withdrawn from court, adding that it was a grave mistake to decide football matters in conventional courts of law.
For his part, Tshabalala said he was ready to take Lioli to new heights as he already knows the kind of football the club plays.
His appointment came after an intensive search and rigorous online interviews conducted by the board of directors and he overcame his two competitors for the position.
It was made it clear that no player was guaranteed a place in the team and that those who impress the coach will be signed to bolster the squad.
Tshabalala has also been mandated to ensure that Lioli finish the new season in the Top 4 bracket and win at least one of the major local cups.
Tailored for you
