Likuena coach Bob Mafoso believes Lesotho have a realistic opportunity to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time after Tuesday’s qualifying draw handed his charges what many football observers consider a manageable route to the 2027 finals.
Lesotho were drawn in Group A alongside continental giants Morocco national football team, Gabon national football team and Niger national football team as they begin another bid to reach Africa’s biggest football tournament for the first time in the country’s history.
The draw for the qualifiers was conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo on Tuesday ahead of the tournament that will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
CAF confirmed that 48 nations will compete in 12 groups of four teams, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the finals.
Despite Lesotho being ranked among the lowest-seeded teams in the qualifiers, Mafoso believes the structure of this campaign gives Likuena a better chance than in previous editions.
“Not drawing one of the host nations gives us genuine hope,” Mafoso said after the draw.
“In previous campaigns, we were often grouped with hosts, meaning only one place was realistically available for the remaining teams. This time, all four teams in the group are competing equally for two qualification spots.”
His optimism reflects wider sentiment within local football circles after Lesotho avoided hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, who automatically qualify for the finals regardless of their performance in the qualifiers.
The issue of host nations participating in qualifying groups has generated debate across African football because teams drawn alongside hosts can sometimes compete for only one effective qualification slot if the hosts finish inside the top two positions.
Several football supporters and analysts across online football communities described Lesotho’s group as one of the more open pools outside Morocco’s dominance. Still, the challenge facing Likuena remains enormous.
Morocco are among the strongest national teams on the continent and enter the qualifiers as defending AFCON champions and 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists. The Atlas Lions have consistently dominated African football in recent years and are widely expected to top the group comfortably.
That leaves Gabon, Niger and Lesotho likely battling for the second qualification spot. Gabon possess greater AFCON experience and continue to benefit from a generation of players competing in Europe and North Africa, while Niger have steadily improved over the past decade and remain difficult opponents, particularly at home.
However, Lesotho’s recent performances have given supporters renewed belief. Likuena secured their place in the group-stage qualifiers after overcoming Seychelles national football team in the preliminary round earlier this year. CAF had initially placed Lesotho among the lower-ranked nations required to navigate an additional qualification stage before reaching the group phase.
Mafoso, who took charge of the national team amid a rebuilding phase, has earned praise for introducing younger players while maintaining competitiveness against stronger opposition.
Attention has now shifted to the upcoming COSAFA Cup where Mafoso has named a provisional 45-man squad dominated by young and largely uncapped players from the Vodacom Premier League.
The selection underlines the coach’s long-term strategy of broadening the national team pool ahead of what promises to be a physically and mentally demanding AFCON qualifying campaign stretching from September 2026 to March 2027.
Only two foreign-based players were included in the provisional squad, 23-year-old midfielder Lebohang Lesako of South African side Orbit College and Lehlohonolo Fothoane of Botswana giants Township Rollers. Lesako has already accumulated senior caps for Likuena and is increasingly viewed as one of the key figures in the next generation of Basotho footballers.
The provisional squad is expected to be trimmed to 30 players following the conclusion of the domestic season before entering camp for COSAFA Cup preparations.
For many Basotho supporters, the current qualifying campaign represents one of the best opportunities yet for Lesotho to finally break into Africa’s premier football competition.
Likuena have previously come close to major qualification milestones but often struggled with consistency, squad depth and difficult qualifying draws against continental heavyweights. The country has never appeared at either the AFCON finals or FIFA World Cup.
Yet the growing competitiveness of smaller African nations has shown that surprises are increasingly possible in continental football. Recent AFCON tournaments have seen countries such as Comoros, Gambia and Madagascar exceed expectations by qualifying and competing strongly against established giants.
CAF itself acknowledged ahead of the draw that the gap between Africa’s traditional powers and emerging football nations continues to narrow.
Lesotho’s hopes may ultimately depend on their ability to maximise home fixtures in Maseru while stealing crucial away points against Gabon and Niger.
With Morocco overwhelming favourites to dominate the group, the battle for second place could become one of the most closely contested races in the qualifiers.
For now, however, belief is steadily growing inside the Likuena camp. And after years of heartbreak and near misses, Basotho football supporters may finally have genuine reason to dream that history could be within reach.
Summary
- Likuena coach Bob Mafoso believes Lesotho have a realistic opportunity to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time after Tuesday’s qualifying draw handed his charges what many football observers consider a manageable route to the 2027 finals.
- Lesotho were drawn in Group A alongside continental giants Morocco national football team, Gabon national football team and Niger national football team as they begin another bid to reach Africa’s biggest football tournament for the first time in the country’s history.
- The draw for the qualifiers was conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo on Tuesday ahead of the tournament that will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
