By: T’soloane Mohlomi
MASERU – The national men’s soccer team coach Veselin Jelušic has been let go following his teams disappointing 1-0 loss to Comoros on Saturday, at the Orlando Stadium in South Africa. During his term of 16months he only owns four victories out of a total of 12 games.
In a statement published by the Lesotho football Association (LEFA) of Monday, the Lesotho football governing body expressed dismay at having to suddenly part with the mentor, but cited the decision having been through an amicable decision reached between the two parties.
“The National Executive Committee of the Lesotho Football Association and the Senior National Team Coach, Mr Veselin Jelušic have reached an agreement to amicably part ways with immediate effect, after 16 months working together,” the statement read.
Moreover the statement further elaborated that this development came after Likuena’s 1-0 loss to Comoros in the 2023 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations qualifies, which left the team rooted to the bottom of their group with just a point to their name. That defeat came in a lacklustre goalless draw against Ivory Coast in June last year.
The Association explained that the Lesotho team had gone through a series of bad spells which saw them losing their last competitive matches, including back to back defeats to Zambia as well as defeats to Eswatini, Togo and most lately to the Island state of Comoros.
In due cause however, the association’s NEC has tipped to inform media on further details regarding this issue, but rumours have nonetheless started to circulate and this paper has learnt through the grapevine that the likes of former national team coach Leslie Notsi and Bob Mafoso, are likely to occupy the coaching position on a caretaker role.
The Lesotho national team Likuena has never qualified for the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) world cup and have also never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. In the Confederation of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) region South Africa together with Zambia remain the only two countries to have ever lift the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations Trophy.