Likuena captain Sekhoane Moerane says Lesotho is aiming for gold at the 2024 COSAFA Cup after finishing second in last year’s edition. Likuena kick off their campaign tomorrow when they face the Seychelles at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, South Africa, and it is a chance to get off to a strong start in a group also containing Namibia and Angola.
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Lesotho face Namibia on Monday before rounding off their pool stage campaign against Angola next Wednesday.
Moerane said although Likuena are in a tough group, they are up against familiar foes.
He said it will not be a walk in the park in their opener against Seychelles but it is important for Likuena to win with only the pool winner guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.
Lesotho have played Seychelles before. The sides met in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) preliminary qualifier in March 2022 that Likuena won but that is in the past, Moerane insisted.
He said Seychelles and Namibia take the COSAFA Cup seriously and both will bring their best teams to the regional showpiece taking place in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
“We are going there to win (the COSAFA Cup) but we are going to play against tough opponents,” Moerane said.
“I think we played Seychelles three times; we drew our first game (and) they showed they are not a small team as people may think. We won the second game but we had to work very hard,” he said.
“We have never beaten Namibia and have only drawn with them when we played each other,” Moerane added when quizzed about Lesotho’s other group opponents.
“The last time we played Angola in the COSAFA Cup they beat us 2-1, this means we have to go and seek revenge. These are three teams that are not easy at all but with our preparations, we have to fight. We came back with silver (last year), we now have to bring gold.”
Moerane also reflected on his performance with his new team Orbit College in South Africa that he joined earlier this year on the back of his fantastic displays at last year’s COSAFA Cup.
Orbit College is based in the North West province and competes in South Africa’s second tier league, the National First Division
Moerane said he is working hard to improve his game because the level of football is higher in South Africa and there is more competition for places.
“I did not do well when you compare to how I was doing here at home. There is competition over there unlike here at home,” he said.
“We are still (at) an amateur (level) while that side is professional. I am working hard as a person, I am getting help from the goalkeeper coaches to get back to where I was,” Moerane said.
The former Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) keeper said his biggest fear is losing and he wants to be remembered long after his career is over. He encouraged other players to seek moves outside the country in order to grow their careers.
“I would be happy if they could join the bigger league (in South Africa) because I play in the lower division and I can see here at home we have potential to play outside the country,” Moerane said.
“When I play here at home I am in my comfort zone, I am not scared but once I leave (for another country) , and work harder than the natives. If you can leave Lesotho and go to Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini it can boost your career and our players can play there.”
Tlalane Phahla
