Mikia Kalati
MASERU — Lesotho’s national Under-20 team coach, Moses Maliehe, feels they well be more pressure for his side to do well as the host of this year’s youth tournament scheduled for November.
The regional football governing body, Cosafa, have given Lesotho the rights to host the two week tournament for the first time in over 18 years.
Lesotho last hosted the youth tourney in 1995.
Minister of Sports, Thesele ’Maseribane, last week assured the Cosafa delegation that Lesotho is more than ready to host the youth tournament.
He also announced that the government will also play a big part financially to make the tournament a success.
The Cosafa delegation that was in the country last weekend included vice-president of Swaziland Football Association, Timothy Shongwe, who is also the chairperson of the Cosafa Organising Committee and the regional football body’s Chief Operations Officer, Sue Destombers.
“We currently have a group of 33 players that are on trials as we begin preparations for the tournament,” Maliehe said.
“It is a motivation and challenge at the same time to make sure that we will have a team that will make our country proud as the host of this year’s tournament.”
Maliehe said he will take three weeks assessing the entire squad of 33 players before cutting the team to 25.
Maliehe who has assisted both Leslie Notši and Bomber Matete in the youth set-up said he is ready for the challenge after years as the assistant coach.
The Lioli legend said it was a good feeling watching a number of his players playing regularly for teams such as Matlama, Lioli and Likhopo in the 2012-13 season.
“Our top priority will be making it past the group stages of the tournament because from that stage anything is possible,” said Maliehe.
“I’m aware that our teams have failed to make it past the group stages of the last three tournaments, but this time we will be playing at home and have to do better than the previous years,” he said.
He told the Sunday Express that he has a good pool of players that he feels will live up to the expectations and do the country proud.
The players include Lioli trio of Bafokeng Mosala, Mafa Moremoholo, and Pitso Monne who were part of Tse Nala squad that won the league title.
Maliehe has also selected former Under-17 captain, Tšeliso Ramathe, of Qoaling Highlanders.
Makoanyane XI, as the Lesotho Under-20 team is affectionately known, were knocked-out in the group stage of the last edition of the competition held in Botswana in 2011. Zambia are the defending champions of the tournament having won it in 2010 and 2011.