Moorosi Tsiane
SOUTH African coach Thabo Senong is only waiting for a contract from the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) before he can commence his new job as the Lesotho senior soccer national team coach, the Sunday Express can reveal.
The former South Africa national under-20 coach had been expected in the country early last week but sources said LeFA had delayed sending him his contract.
The sources said Senong was meant to have arrived in the country last weekend.
“He is ready to take the job and what he is only waiting for now is for LeFA to send him his contract then he will come and start his duties immediately,” a source said.
“The contract was supposed to have been sent to him last weekend but it looks like that didn’t happen because he did not come.”
This comes after the recent resignation of Moses Maliehe after a long spell of illness.
There has been uncertainty over the future of the incumbent, Maliehe, since May this year after he was given leave of absence due to illness while the team was preparing for the COSAFA tournament. The team was led by Maliehe’s assistants James Madidilane and Mpitsa Marai to Durban for the tournament.
The team was also led by LeFA technical director Leslie Notši on interim basis for back to back CHAN qualifiers against Bafana Bafana. The tie was won on a 6-2 aggregate.
Prior to the COSAFA trip, LeFA had seemed determined to bring changes to the Likuena technical team, giving the coaches a tough task of playing in the COSAFA final and qualifying for CHAN. While the team failed to play in the final, it indeed registered two history-breaking wins against South Africa.
However, it seems LeFA has not been mollified by the feat and even before Maliehe’s recent resignation, they had been searching for a new coach.
Contacted for comment, LeFA secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi could neither confirm nor deny the developments only saying he was unaware.
“I am not aware if LeFA is chasing Senong, at this point I don’t have that in my records and if such discussions have really taken place, maybe I was not party to them so I can neither confirm nor deny,” Mohapi said.
Asked to comment on allegations that Senong’s contract is stuck in his office, Mohapi said he has never seen it.
“I don’t have Senong’s contract in my records, I haven’t seen it,” he said.
On his part, Senong confirmed he was in talks with LeFA but said he was still waiting for their response.
“We had talks with LeFA and I am still waiting for them to engage me again. I am still in South Africa and hopefully next week there will be light. I look forward to serving Lesotho football if given such an opportunity.
“I am honored to have been engaged by LeFA in such discussion.
“Although I am still in South Africa, I look forward to coming to Lesotho soon once everything has been finalised,” Senong told the Sunday Express.