Seabata Mahao
Lesotho’s football received a boost this week after 22 coaches attained their Confederation of African Football (CAF) A Diploma Coaching Badges.
The CAF A licence is the highest qualification recognised by the continental governing body for clubs and is normally required for coaching clubs participating in inter-club competitions.
The 22 coaches were licensed following their successful completion of the CAF- A License Coaching Coarse, which was recently organised by the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA).
Among the coaches who received the elite license are former national team stars TÅ¡epo Hlojeng, Motlatsi Maseela, and Motlalepula Majoro. The national under-17 coach, Motolo Makepe, was also among those who completed the course.
According to LeFA, all the coaches who enrolled for the four-month-long course passed.
Following the completion of the course, LeFA’s Technical Director, Lehlohonolo Thotanyana, expressed delight at the successful hosting of the first-ever A License Course, which was instructed by locals from the coaching manuals developed in the country.
Thotanyana said it was a notable milestone for Lesotho to be among the first countries in the region to fulfil the CAF requirements to host such courses.
“This is historical for the Lesotho Football Association in my opinion, because as the prerequisite of the convention, we held a course to train instructors, they were graded by CAF, and they came up with the timetable,†he said.
“For the first time in our history, we wrote our own manuals and had our own instructors conducting the course while two CAF Inspectors from Angola and South Africa graced the course for a few days to monitor progress,†he added.
LeFA said in a statement that South African coach, James Madidilane, is among those who were licensed.
Madidilane spent several years working in the country, including a short spell as part of the Likuena technical team.
“LeFA has over the years contributed to the coach education of some of the coaches coming from the region, notably, Morena Ramoreboli from South Africa, who is now in charge of Jwaneng Galaxy FC as well as Abram Nteo, who is the assistant coach at Royal AM FC.
LeFA is among the first three Southern African countries alongside Botswana and Mozambique to fulfil the CAF A criteria coaching courses standards.
This is after CAF in 2017, summoned a coaching convention to review and standardize coaching content across the continent, which led to the continental Football body halting all its coaching courses.
Meanwhile, LeFA’s elite female referee, Nteboheleng Setoko, has been invited to be part of the officiating team at the upcoming COSAFA Women’s Champions League.
Setoko has been invited to be part of the officiating team at the upcoming COSAFA Women’s Championship scheduled for Johannesburg, South Africa from October 4 to 15.
The invitation comes barely a month after Setoko officiated the final of the CAF Women’s Champions League or COSAFA Qualifiers, where Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies of South Africa defeated Green Buffaloes of Zambia.
Her partner ‘Mathabo Kolokotoane officiated the final of the 2022 edition of the COSAFA Women’s Championship between South Africa and Zambia.
