Seahlolo dreams big

MASERU – Mosoeu Seahlolo is living every boy’s dream in the Mountain Kingdom after he was called to the Lesotho senior national football team late last year.

The 21-year-old, who only completed his high school studies last year, cut his teeth playing for Abia Super Stars at Ha-Abia and has never looked back since then.

He stated that it was a dream come true to train with Likuena for the first time under the mentorship of Serbia-born tactician Veselin Jelusic.

“To be honest with you, I did not have goosebumps as I had faced many of the players in the Likuena squad at club level, but it was a dream come true for me training with the senior national team,” he said.

“I received my first call-up when I was preparing to sit for my examinations and was able to attend just one training session, but the coaches told me to focus on the exams and that I would avail myself once I was done writing, which I did,” he said.

“I must say, this has been the best time of my life as my career at senior level had just taken off at LCS and now I want to make the best of this opportunity presented to me.”

Seahlolo is only in his second season playing top-flight football having come through the ranks at premier league giants, LCS, where he started off in their developmental teams.

The young goalkeeper is a product of the of the LeFA School of Excellence having been scouted as a 12-year-old alongside club team, Hlomelang Lebina, who leads the Vodacom Premier League goal scoring charts.

“Yes, I came through the ranks at the School of Excellence, but later graduated to the national Under-17 as well as Under-20 teams though I never really played in international competitions with the Under-17,” Mosoeu said.

“It’s at the Under-20 where I played at the COSAFA Championship while I was still with the LCS development team and that experience helped me to be a better player.

“I have now gained a lot of international exposure and this is why I did not panic when I got the chance to play for the senior team,” he said.

The goalminder expressed his gratitude to Likuena goalkeepers’ coach, Sam Ketsebile, who he says has been instrumental to his rise as one of the best young goalkeepers in the country.

“I was very lucky in that I was seeing my role model right in front of me when he was still playing at LCS and I was with their development team,” Seahlolo said.

“It became even better after he retired because he was one of my goalkeeper coaches and now, I get to work with him even with the national team. It’s a blessing honestly and I would like to surpass all his achievements,” he said.

The Abia-born player has his eyes on one day playing his football beyond Lesotho’s borders and becoming his country’s number one goalkeeper to take over from current first choice in Sekhoane Moerane.

“Here in the country, my role model is Moerane, who I now play with in the national team and my dream is to one day take over from him as the first-choice goalkeeper for Likuena.

“I want to surpass his achievements as well and become the best goalkeeper in the country. I have already tasted playing for the country in a training match against a top South African Premier League side and I am looking forward to more,” he said.

Mikia Kalati