Namibia looking forward to Lesotho clash at COSAFA Cup

Namibia were COSAFA Castle Cup champions in 2015...

Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti says the Brave Warriors are looking forward to the challenge of facing Lesotho in the 2017 COSAFA Castle Cup. The draw for this year’s competition was conducted two weeks ago and the sides will face-off in the quarterfinals.

Asked about the draw, Ricardo Mannetti was buoyant. He said Namibia respects Lesotho but is aiming to go all the way to the final and championship glory.

“I know Lesotho very well; they play positive football with a lot of energy. We will have to control those qualities which I think we are capable of doing,” Mannetti said.

Mannetti said Namibia’s main objective was to win to the regional showpiece, a feat they achieved for the first time in 2015 when the COSAFA Castle Cup was last hosted in South Africa.

“We aim to win the trophy and in order to do so we will have to beat Lesotho to reach the semi-finals, and ultimately the final,” he said. “But, we will take it one game at a time, because that’s what it’s all about. You can’t play the next game, before the one you have to play,” he said.

According to Mannetti, the Brave Warriors’ preparations will ultimately be more important than the opponents they will face.

“It is not much about whom we are drawn against, but rather our preparations and intensity. We have faith in our strengths and approach and we will have to perfect that and play our own way,” he said.

As in the previous three tournaments, the quarterfinal losers will contest the Plate competition.

However, for the winner of the match between Lesotho and Namibia the prospect of a Cup semi-final and final will await. In the semi-finals the two teams will either face Swaziland or the winner of Group B.

COSAFA Castle Cup draw:

Group A: Angola, Tanzania, Mauritius, Malawi

Group B: Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles

Quarterfinals:

1 July

Match 13: Botswana v Zambia (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng)

Match 14: Namibia v Lesotho (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng)

2 July

Match 15: South Africa v Group A winner (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng)

Match 16: Swaziland v Group B winner (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng)

Semi-finals:

5 July

Winner of Match 13 v Winner of Match 15

Winner of Match 14 v Winner of Match 16

Lichocha women not resting after NBL championship win

Lichocha women are Lesotho's basketball queens again...

There is no rest for the wicked, as they say, and that is the case for the Lichocha Shooting Rifles ladies basketball team. Just three weeks ago Lichocha won a third successive National Basketball League (NBL) women’s title but already they are looking at ways to improve their squad.

Lichocha were crowned 2016/17 champions after beating Bokamoso North 49-45 in Game 5 of a thrilling women’s NBL finals to win the series 3-2.

It was a tightly-contested series pitting the experience of Lichocha against the youth of Bokamoso. But, in the end, Lichocha prevailed to add to titles they won in 2015 and 2016.

However, instead of celebrating, Lichocha say they are already head-hunting players to reinforce their squad. It is this attitude that can help explain why the team has won seven major trophies since 2014.

Lichocha captain Khothalo Mpeta said the team is on a scouting mission to find two players that will fill their roster. Lichocha currently have 10 players and teams are allowed to have 12. Mpeta also praised the team’s closeness as being the key to their continuing success.

“We need to recruit a few more players to make it a full team of 12 players; at the moment the team has only 10 players,” she said.

“We are successful because of the love we have between us as players,” Mpeta added. “We trust each other and everyone knows what to do on the court. The love that we all have for each other keeps the squad in high spirits.”