LEFA withdraws from CAF competitions

MASERU – The Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) has quit CAF’s continental club competitions until further notice.

LEFA is suspending Lesotho’s participation in the CAF Champions League due to the high costs of hosting games in South Africa because of the Setsoto Stadium’s continued ban by Africa’s governing body, CAF.

Setsoto is one of the 23 stadiums across Africa that were banned in May 2021 for not meeting CAF’s standards for hosting international matches and the improvements mandated by CAF have not been done.

The developments required by CAF include massive renovation, re-grassing, installing modern floodlights and a standby generator.

LEFA’s secretary general, Mokhosi Mohapi, announced Lesotho is pulling out of continental competitions at a press briefing yesterday.

He said LEFA made the decision after studying the financial report of Matlama’s participation in the CAF Champions League preliminary stages last month against Cameroon Coton Sport de Garoua.

Matlama hosted the first leg at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein before travelling to West Africa for the return.

LEFA says it forked out close to M2 million for the two games alone and if Matlama had made it to the next stage, it would have been an even costlier exercise.

With Setsoto being unavailable for international games, LEFA has to hire stadiums in South Africa and incur costs of staying there ahead of matches, including accommodation, transporting staff and other necessities.

The estimated M2 million from Matlama’s CAF adventure does not take into account Lesotho’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Likuena hosted Seychelles in April and Ivory Coast in June and both games were played at the Dobsonville Stadium in Gauteng.

Mohapi reckoned that hiring the Free State Stadium was more expensive than playing in Dobsonville which he said cost just above M160 000 to hire.

The most one can expect to pay to rent Setsoto is M20 000 and it does not make economic sense for LEFA to host club games outside the country.

The Free State Stadium, meanwhile, is not accredited by CAF to host national team games which are categorised as Class-A matches and that is why Likuena has to play at the Dobsonville Stadium which is accredited by CAF.

LEFA says it wrote to the Ministry of Sports beforehand to let them know Matlama would be participating in CAF competitions and about the possibility ‘Tse Putsoa’ may proceed to the next stage, but LEFA never got a response.

“Since 2012 we have not gotten money from the government like we are entitled to every year, but besides that, because our clubs that go outside (Lesotho) are in essence representing the country, they need support from the government.

“That last happened five years ago and it was just partially. In the other years, like these past games, (the sports ministry) really didn’t even think of helping,” Mohapi said.

“As a result, the executive called the (Premier League Management Committee) to talk about this. Until there is a change with Setsoto Stadium, LEFA will suspend enrolment of teams in the CAF interclub competitions.

“We had a meeting with the teams last week Friday and we informed them, there is nothing more we can do,” he said.

Likuena are still involved in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers and if Setsoto remains unavailable in February next year, they will continue to play their games at the Dobsonville Stadium.

Lesotho is scheduled to host Zambia next March in its next home qualifier.

Mohapi said not enrolling in CAF competitions will not have any consequences for Lesotho and the only penalties would have come if the association withdrew after a fixture had been issued.

Mohapi said the decision is painful but it is one Lesotho football has to live with.

“It’s the trophy, beyond just winning the league, (the goal) is to go and try play in the CAF Champions League and go beyond the preliminary stages.

“That’s how it can affect us and we will have to live with it. It is a sad story,” Mohapi said.

Tlalane Phahla