Party time as LDF Ladies lift trophy

MASERU – The normally serene Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena turned into a party scene on Sunday as the invincible Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Ladies celebrated their Women’s Super League (WSL) title victory in style.

The crown was already secured going into the final day and the army side finished off their perfect season by brushing aside Thaba-Tseka Ladies 4-0 in their final game.

It was LDF’s 18th consecutive victory to cap an unprecedented campaign in which LDF won every game and wild celebrations unsurprisingly ensued when the final whistle was blown.

The party was attended by several dignitaries including the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) president, Advocate Salemane Phafane, who handed LDF their league trophy.

The army side had arrived at Bambatha ready to party and a military convoy ushered them into the arena while a military helicopter flew over.

One has to wonder what kind of party LDF would have thrown if the LDF men’s team had also won the Vodacom Premier League.

Ultimately, the men fell short and finished second behind Bantu but their women’s team no doubt redeemed them.

LDF Ladies did so in historic fashion as well, becoming the first club in Lesotho football, men or women, to win every game of a league season.

In their utterly dominant campaign, LDF’s defence was breached just twice in 18 games while, at the other end, LDF scored an eye-watering 108 goals at a rate of six goals per game.

It was such a dominant season and, such was their confidence, that the champions warmed up against Thaba-Tseka Ladies by playing netball.

The scene encapsulated the season. While Thaba-Tseka visitors were vigorously going through their paces, the champions were having fun on the other side.

The game was just as comfortable as their warm up and it showed why no club has come close to challenging LDF.

In the previous three seasons Kick4Life were the one team that challenged LDF, but this season was different, Kick4Life, runners-up again, lost both games against the champions and finished 12 points behind LDF.

It is the army side’s fourth WSL title in a row and LDF head coach Lengana Nkhethoa was full of praise for his players for rising to the challenge of improving themselves despite their dominance.

Nkhethoa added that players and teams will improve if the league continues to play two rounds of fixtures as it did for the first time this season.

Previously teams faced each other just once. This year the 10 sides faced each other twice which totalled 18 games for each side for the season.

“The main challenge is that the teams we play against, I want women’s football to grow,” Nkhethoa said.

“We’ve had a workshop as coaches for women’s football and I said we should work more on technique than running,” he added.

“Women don’t need to run, when you train women it’s similar to development. They need to work with the ball all the time, they should know how to pass, after you pass, you should support and you will be done.”

Winning the title means LEFA can enrol LDF Ladies in the COSAFA Women’s Champions League which is usually played in August. LEFA has not confirmed whether they will enrol LDF, but Nkhethoa is already working on preparing his team.

Nkhethoa said when LDF play teams from outside the country, players are afraid to take responsibility on the ball and he believes that playing a lot of international friendly matches will help.

“When I got into the team they were going to the championship (COSAFA Women’s Champions League in 2021), I didn’t train them, it was because I had the qualifications needed. What I realised was that they have capability but they are afraid of responsibility especially when they cross the border,” he said.

“I think having a lot of friendly matches will help them to get exposure, if we can play at least six games by august I think we will do better,” Nkhethoa said.

The season may be over, but there will be no rest for the champions according to Nkhethoa. Next week they will compete in a charity tournament at the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) ground against a selected team from other nine WSL teams.

Nkhethoa said LDF will use the tournament as part of their preparations for their potential trip to the COSAFA Women’s Champions League.

Afterwards they will take a week off before resuming training again.

“Of the six friendly matches we are going to play, we have to win at least 60 percent of them. So far, we played two, we won one and drew one. We will have teams that will come here and we will also go out as part of the preparations,” Nkhethoa said.

Top 3 WSL scorers:
Nthabeleng Potsane (LDF Ladies, 22)
‘Maseriti Mohlolo (LDF Ladies, 20)
Litšoanelo Matete (Basetsana United, 19)

Tlalane Phahla