The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) has urged fans to exercise caution when purchasing tickets for tonight’s eagerly awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier between Lesotho’s Likuena and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The warning follows reports of fake tickets circulating at some outlets following a confusion regarding the change of the venue for the crunch encounter.
Earlier this week, LeFA confirmed that Toyota Stadium had been officially cleared by FIFA after earlier concerns about the pitch. Initially, FIFA had recommended moving the game to Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium.
However, following swift corrective measures by stadium authorities and successful engagements with LeFA, Toyota Stadium was reinstated as the official venue.
In a statement, LeFA advised supporters to ensure their physical tickets clearly state the fixture as Lesotho vs South Africa, not South Africa vs Nigeria, which is for a completely different match.
On Tuesday, LeFA announced that the stadium had passed FIFA’s inspection, paving the way for the fixture to take place as scheduled at 1800 hours tonight. Likuena left Maseru for Bloemfontein on Tuesday to enter final preparations for the Group C encounter.
During a media briefing ahead of the team’s departure, LeFA’s Head of Marketing and Communications Mikia Kalati expressed optimism and determination.
“We are ready to face Bafana-Bafana and we want to win that game for Basotho,” Kalati declared. “All our star players are fit and rearing to go. The spirit in the camp is high.”
On his part, Likuena’s head coach Leslie Notši echoed the same confidence, noting that the squad has been blending locally based players with those arriving from abroad.
He confirmed that the team had played a warm-up friendly against Marumo Gallants to fine-tune their preparations.
“We used the Gallants game to assess our strengths and weaknesses, and I am content with the team’s readiness,” said Notši.
One major talking point ahead of the clash has been the absence of Lioli FC players in the final squad. Notši explained that the decision, reached in consultation with Lioli’s coach Bongani Maseko, was influenced by the club’s upcoming CAF Champions League fixtures.
“We had to make a tough call. While we would have loved to have Lioli players, we understand the importance of their CAF campaign. LeFA has invested in both teams,” Notši explained.
Moreover, three Lijabatho players, defender Mohlomi Makhetha and strikers Khaketla Matamane and Teboho Masuoane, were also omitted from the final list despite making the provisional squad.
The reasons for their exclusion remain unclear. Another surprise omission was Linare’s midfielder Teboho Letsema, who had impressed at the recent Ramela Football Spectacular.
Nonetheless, Likuena will be boosted by the return of experienced striker Motebang Sera, currently playing for Venda FC in South Africa. His presence is expected to be key in this high-stakes tie.
Former Kaizer Chiefs development midfielder Lebohang Lesako, now with Casric FC, has also been called up and is in line to feature tonight after training with the team.
Likuena are currently sitting in position five with six points from the same number of games in the Group C log, while their opponents, SA, are in pole position with 13 points from six games.
Summary
- In a statement, LeFA advised supporters to ensure their physical tickets clearly state the fixture as Lesotho vs South Africa, not South Africa vs Nigeria, which is for a completely different match.
- On Tuesday, LeFA announced that the stadium had passed FIFA’s inspection, paving the way for the fixture to take place as scheduled at 1800 hours tonight.
- Likuena are currently sitting in position five with six points from the same number of games in the Group C log, while their opponents, SA, are in pole position with 13 points from six games.
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.
