Moorosi Tsiane
LESOTHO Football Association (LeFA) president, Salemane Phafane, is set to retain his position for a fourth term amid revelations that he has no challengers in Saturday’s presidential elections at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena in Maseru.
LeFA comprises of all district football associations, Lesotho Primary Schools Sports Association, Football Coaches Association of Lesotho, Referees Association of Lesotho, Women’s National Football Committee, Lesotho Universities and College Sports Association, the Premier League, Lesotho Institutions Sports Association and any other body admitted by the Lesotho Football Association under its statutes.
Interested candidates were given until Friday 8 September 2017 to submit their names and LeFA secretary general Mokhosi Mohapi yesterday told the Sunday Express that only Phafane had submitted his name by close of business on Friday.
Phafane first assumed the hot seat in 2004 when he replaced Thabo Makakole who was killed in a car accident.
“Except for Ntate Phafane, no one had submitted their names by the time we closed on Friday so that means he will stand un-opposed on election day,” Mohapi said, adding this was not the first time a sitting president went for polls unopposed.
He however, said they still had to go through with the elections in the interests of transparency and they were expected to present the outcome to Federation of International Football (FIFA), Council of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA), Confederation of African Football (CAF), Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) and Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC).
In the last elections, Phafane beat his former second vice president, Lebohang Thotanyana, by 37 votes to 12.