Pascalinah Kabi
MASERU — Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) say they will use the bitter lessons learned during their disastrous African Champions League campaign to inspire them to defend their league title.
LCS meekly bowed out of the Champions League last Sunday after suffering a humiliating 3-0 loss to Uganda Revenue Authority.
The side could only manage a nil-all draw when the two sides met in the return fixture at Setsoto Stadium.
LCS coach Mosholi ‘Shoes’ Mokhothu told the Sunday Express that with their African dreams extinguished they had now turned their attentions on the local league.
“Our main focus right now as a team is not to feel pity for ourselves but to focus on defending our league title and work extra hard to achieve that mission,” Mokhothu said.
He said they would use this year’s experience in the Champions League to help them defend their league title.
“We were playing against an experienced team which has represented its country in the Champions League for a number of years,” Mokhothu said.
“They were a better team than us in terms of Champions League experience and they used that to their advantage.”
He said although the club had represented the country in the same competition in 2008, they had this year used different players, coaches and administrators.
“But if we successfully defend our title and represent the country in the next edition, we will be a better team and can promise everyone that we will proceed to the next stage of the competition,” he said.
Mokhothu said playing to a goalless draw against Uganda Revenue Authority on Sunday was a frustrating experience.
“We could have played a better game but our players lacked concentration from the start,” he said.
“They gave up from the first minute of the match and played a defensive game like we were the one defending [the lead].”
Uganda Revenue Authority coach Isabirye Alex shared the same sentiments with Mokhothu.
“They (LCS) were definitely not a walkover but conceding three goals in Uganda was hard for them,” Alex said.
“As a result their concentration was not good and they ended up losing,” he said.
Alex said he was happy that his charges had escaped without any injuries.
“It was my game plan to hold Lesotho (LCS) to a goalless draw,” he said.