Senong names Lesotho preliminary squad for Benin AFCON qualifiers

Likuena face Benin in back-to-back AFCON qualifiers in March

Lesotho coach Thabo Senong has named a preliminary 29-man squad for Likuena’s back-to-back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin in March.

Lesotho is in Group L alongside Benin, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The top two nations will qualify for the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon next January.

Lesotho’s 2021 AFCON qualifying fixtures:
13/11/19	Sierra Leone	1-1	Lesotho
17/11/19	Lesotho	2-4	Nigeria
23/03/20	Benin	v	Lesotho
31/03/20	Lesotho	v	Benin
01/06/20	Lesotho	v	Sierra Leone
31/08/20	Nigeria	v	Lesotho

Group L standings:

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
1	Nigeria	2	2	0	0	6	3	+3	6
2	Benin	2	1	0	1	2	2	+0	3
3	Lesotho	2	0	1	1	3	5	-2	1
4	Sierra Leone	2	0	1	1	1	2	-1	1

The squad:

Senong has selected 29 players and he has kept faith in the core that faced Sierra Leone and Nigeria in Likuena’s opening qualifiers last year.

There are only three first-time call-ups to the Likuena setup. The new faces are LCS defender Thabang Malane, Lioli defensive midfielder Tieho Ntulo and LMPS striker Monyatheli Ntobo.

Senong said: “As the coaching team we talked and decided to start with a provisional team because we are playing in seven weeks’ time. It is important to increase the list and have a big pool of players. It gives us many possibilities and a chance to have different combinations as we build our team.”

The final cut:

The squad will train together three times a week for the next four weeks. The 29-man squad number will be cut to 19 or 20 players by March 15 when Likuena will begin final camp.

Motebang Sera and Tshwarelo Bereng who are regulars for South Africa PSL sides Bloemfontein Celtic and Black Leopards respectively will only join the rest of the squad a week before the first Benin clash.

“In our analysis of the opponents and the research on Benin, we realised that we had to make adjustments here and there,” Senong said.

“Benin is an extremely athletic team and they rely a lot on speed. (The research) has given us a bit of information about what we need to fix and improve as the national team.”

The games:

Lesotho had originally been scheduled to play Benin in August.

However, Likuena will play Benin in March after CAF rearranged the continent’s qualifying campaigns for the 2021 AFCON and 2022 FIFA World Cup earlier this month.

The move follows CAF’s decision to move the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon from June-July to January-February.

The AFCON qualifiers had been due to begin in August but will now start in March.

Two rounds of qualifiers will be staged in March with one round in June before the final qualifying period which will run from August 31 to September 8.

Earlier this month CAF decided the 2021 AFCON will begin on January 9 next year because of the adverse weather conditions in Cameroon in June and July when there is likely to be more rainfall and humidity.

Likuena preliminary squad:

Goalkeepers:

Ntsane Lichaba (Bantu), Sekhoane Moerane (LMPS), Monaheng Ramalefane (Matlama)

Defenders:

Basia Makepe, Nkau Lerotholi (both LMPS), Kopano Tseka, Thabang Malane, Refiloe Mothae (all LCS), Lisema Lebokollane (Matlama), Lesia Thetsane (Columbia College, United States), Motlomelo Mkhwanazi, Bokang Sello (both Bantu)

Midfielders:

Thabo Seakhoa (LCS), Thabo Matšoele (Liphakoe), Tšepo Toloane (LDF), Luciano Matsoso, Tieho Ntulo (both Lioli), Hlompho Kalake, Lehlohonolo Fothoane, Litšepe Marabe (all Bantu), Jane Thaba-Ntšo (Matlama), Tumelo Khutlang, Tšoarelo Bereng (both Black Leopards, South Africa)

Forwards:

Mokone Marabe (Bantu), Monyatheli Ntobo (LMPS), Thabang Rabi (LDF), Masoabi Nkoto (Real Kings, South Africa), Motebang Sera (Bloemfontein Celtic, South Africa), Tšeliso Botsane (Kick4Life)