Moorosi Tsiane
Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) Football Club coach, Mahao ‘Bomber’ Matete, has not reported for training for two weeks, and the team’s management has been looking for him without success.
Matete was appointed LMPS coach in January this year, replacing the sacked Rethabile Mokhesuoa.
However, the team has only managed one win and two draws, and lost five of their league matches this season. The poor form has left the police outfit in 12th position on the 14-team Vodacom Premier League table.
Matete was not on the bench when Simunye, as LMPS are affectionately known, drew 1-1 with Kick4Life last weekend, and was last with the team in their 0-2 defeat to Sundawana a fortnight ago.
LMPS communications and marketing manager, Kotsoane Ramakau, on Friday confirmed to the Sunday Express that Matete has not been attending the team’s training sessions for two weeks now.
“It is true that he has not shown up training since we lost to Sundawana two weeks ago and as the team’s management, we don’t know why,” Ramakau said.
“We were supposed to have a meeting with him yesterday, Thursday, but it failed to materialise as he was not in the country. Hopefully, we will meet next week and get to the bottom of this.”
Ramakau said they had only heard rumours that Matete was not happy with the team although the coach had not communicated it to the management.
“There have been rumors making the rounds that Ntate Matete was not really impressed with how the team is playing but I can’t confirm or deny this because he hasn’t said anything to us as his employers,” Ramakau said.
“The fact that he is not here is very frustrating because the team is not doing well. We need to sit with him and see how we can come out of this situation before it is too late.”
The Sunday Express made repeated attempts to get Matete’s side of the story to no avail as his phone was not available.
Meanwhile, Ramakau said Lebohang Rasethuntša is taking charge of the team on a caretaker basis, while Lekunutu Tšoeunyane is the goalkeepers’ coach.