Lesotho’s under-15 national team has made history by reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival currently ongoing in Azerbaijan, while also becoming the first Lesotho side to appear at such a major FIFA tournament.
The young Likuena were, however, yesterday knocked out by North Macedonia by 3-2 in the semi-finals, bringing an end to their memorable run in the tournament.
The boys fought gallantly coming back from a 2-0 deficit to level matters before half time, only for North Macedonia to land a killer blow in the second stanza.
They had opened their Group I campaign in style, beating Gabon 3-2 in Baku to claim a historic first victory on the global stage. They could not sustain that momentum, however, losing 5-1 to Bulgaria, 2-1 to Latvia and 3-1 to Scotland.
The young Likuena were, however, yesterday knocked out by North Macedonia by 3-2 in the semi-finals, bringing an end to their memorable run in the tournament
Lesotho finished fourth in Group I with three points from four matches, scoring six goals and conceding 12. That placed them in Tier D, where teams continue to compete for honours under the tournament’s tier-based format.
The team then bounced back in the knockout stage, beating Sierra Leone to advance and following that with a 2-1 win over Bahrain to book a place in the Tier D semi-finals. The run showed the resilience of a young squad that has faced a variety of international opponents and styles of play.
Their progress to the semi-finals also reflects the potential of the Lesotho Football Association’s youth development programme, centred at the LeFA Academy. The exposure gained in Baku will help the players grow in competitiveness as the country continues to develop its next generation of football talent.
With their semi-final elimination, the young warriors will be hoping to wrap their campaign in style by winning the third-place play-offs.
Summary
- The young Likuena were, however, yesterday knocked out by North Macedonia by 3-2 in the semi-finals, bringing an end to their memorable run in the tournament.
- The team then bounced back in the knockout stage, beating Sierra Leone to advance and following that with a 2-1 win over Bahrain to book a place in the Tier D semi-finals.
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