Lesotho squad convenes for Netball World Youth Cup Qualifiers

Lesotho preparing for Netball World Youth Cup Qualifiers

A preliminary 20 player squad has convened as Lesotho prepares for the Netball World Youth Cup Qualifiers which will be held in Botswana later this month.

The qualifying tournament, which is for Africa’s ladies teams, will take place from July 23 to July 30. It will be contested by Under-21 teams from nine countries.

They nations are Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and hosts Botswana. Botswana will not be qualifying because it will host the Netball World Youth Cup which will be held in August 2017.

The three best African teams will seal a place from the Botswana qualifiers.

In total, each of the five participating continents will have three contestants each at next year’s World Cup. Botswana will complete the 16-team field.

Lesotho’s squad reported for duty last Saturday and it will begin full training tomorrow. Lesotho will begin its World Youth Cup Qualifiers against Malawi on July 24 in Gaborone.

Moving to football and the national Under-20 side has been boosted by the return to fitness of star striker Roboama Koloti. The Sundawana forward missed the Makoanyane XI’s 2-0 loss to South Africa on Sunday in the first leg of the sides’ 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifier.

Koloti has resumed training and he is expected to be fit for next weekend’s second leg in South Africa.

The winner will qualify for next year’s African U-20 finals which have been scheduled for February 26 to March 12 in Zambia.

Bantu to host star-studded gala dinner

Vodacom Premier League giants Bantu will host a star-studded gala dinner at Avani Maseru Hotel on Saturday. After a forgettable season in which they finished seventh in the league, A Matšo Matebele are pulling out all the stops to host a memorable gala celebration.

The Bantu gala dinner is set to feature several guests but the headline acts are actors from prominent South African soapie Muvhango. The special guests will be Sindi Dlathu who plays Thandaza, Dingaan Mokebe who plays James Motsamai and Palo Mokoailane who is Pheko Mokoena in the popular show. Admission for Saturday’s festivity will be M400 per person or M5000 for a table for 10. The Bantu Gala Dinner will start at 19:00.

Bantu Gala Dinner

Staying with football and Lesotho’s Under-20 side is recovering after a disappointing 2-0 loss to South Africa on Sunday at Setsoto Stadium in the sides’ 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifier first leg. The Makoanyane XI didn’t have a good afternoon.

South Africa took the lead as early as the sixth minute when striker Liam Jordan headed in the opener. And although the Makoanyane XI tried to force an equaliser, Amajita substitute Kamohelo Sithole sealed the win in the 74th minute.

The result leaves Lesotho with a mountain to climb in the return leg.

The two sides will meet again in the second leg in South Africa in two weeks’ time. The match will decide who will go to the U-20 AFCON championship in Zambia next year.

Two more Lesotho athletes qualify for Rio 2016

Two more Lesotho athletes will be joining Mosito Lehata (centre)
 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Two more Lesotho athletes have secured their spots at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The two are Nomakoe Nkhasi and Tšepang Sello who secured their qualification at the Africa Senior Championships that were held in Durban, South Africa from June 22 to 26. Their trip to the Rio Games in August has been ratified by the Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association.

Nkhasi and Sello’s Rio qualification takes the number of track and field athletes to five. They join sprinter Mosito Lehata and marathon runners Tšepo Mathibelle and Lebenya Nkoka on the plane to Brazil in August.

In total, Team Lesotho currently has seven competitors with boxers Moroke Mokhotho and Inkululeko Suntele also Olympic-bound. Nkhasi qualified in the 5000 metres where he finished sixth in a time of 13 minutes, 21.58 seconds. The Mokhotlong born Nkhasi was raised in South Africa and first represented Lesotho earlier this year in Botswana. He has never competed at the Olympics before.

Sello is also based in South Africa. She qualified for Rio after placing fourth in the 1500 metres in a time of 4 minutes, 13.29 seconds.

Lesotho’s number one sprinter Mosito Lehata also continued his fine 2016 form by setting a new personal best 100 metres time of 10.04 seconds to win silver at the Africa Senior Championships.

Lehata beat his previous best of 10.11 seconds which he set last April in Mauritius. Lehata has already qualified for the Rio Olympics in August and is hoping to take his promising form into the Games.

The Rio Olympics are slated for August 5 to 21.

MSC Headlines: Lioli to use Setsoto Stadium in 2016/17

Lioli's home ground for 2016/17

Vodacom Premier League champions Lioli will continue to use Setsoto Stadium as their home ground for the 2016/17 campaign. Tse Nala have confirmed they will use the national for the third season in a row as construction work on the club’s new stadium in Teyateyaneng is yet to get underway. Lioli have not indicated when their new stadium will be ready.

Staying with the Vodacom Premier League and Lioli, and Tse Nala star Jeremea Kamela has won the 2015/16 player of the year accolade at the Vodacom premiership awards ceremony at Avani Maseru yesterday evening.

Kamela beat off the Matlama duo of Jane Thaba-Ntšo and Motebang Sera for the top prize after inspiring Lioli to the league title. Lioli coach Mosholi Mokhothu has also been crowned coach of the year after leading Tse Nala to a second successive championship in May. Mokhothu was up against Matlama’s Moses Maliehe and LCS’s Mpitsa Marai.

To transfer speculation and LCS midfielder Ralekoti Mokhahlane is being strongly linked with a move away from the club. The Lesotho international is reportedly close to a move to Kick4Life where he would re-unite with his former Likuena mentor Leslie Notši. Rovers, who survived premiership relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, are also said to be in the hunt for Mokhahlane’s signature.

Finally, the Federation of Lesotho Rugby's annual Rugby 7’s tournament will move on to Mazenod this weekend. The seven-a-side competition kicked off last month and will continue until October.

Kamela leads Vodacom Premier League awards nominees

Lioli’s Jeremea Kamela leads the nominees for the Vodacom Premier League’s end of season awards announced today.  The versatile midfielder has been nominated in the player of the season and player’s player of the season categories after a sterling 2015/16 season for Lioli.

Kamela helped Tse Nala retain their league title and also inspired the champions to the LNIG Top 8 title in March.

Jerry Kamela (right) after Lioli's LNIG Top 8 success

Kamela is joined in the headline award for player of the season by the Matlama pair of Motebang Sera and Jane Thaba-Ntšo. The duo is being recognised after fine seasons for Tse Putsoa who finished second behind Lioli in the championship race.

Sera won the league’s golden boot award with 14 goals while Thaba-Ntšo finished just behind him with 13 goals. The winner of the player of the season award will walk away with a cool M5000.

Kamela also stands to win the M2500 loot for the players’ player of the season award. He is again joined in this category by Matlama striker Sera who is guaranteed M3000 for his top scorer title. The third nominee for the players’ player of the season is this year’s break-out star, Sundawana striker Roboama Koloti. The 17 year-old rookie scored 13 league goals and propelled the Butha-Buthe side to a shock top four finish in the Vodacom Premier League.

Koloti is also up for the young player of the season alongside Linare’s Khubetsoana Kamela and Kick4Life’s Lesia Thetsane.

Elsewhere, Mpitsa Marai (of LCS), Mosholi Mokhothu (of Lioli) and Matlama’s Moses Maliehe will contest the coach of the season award while the goalkeeper honour will go to Sele Thetsane (of Kick4Life), Kananelo Makhooane (of Lioli) or LCS’s Daniel Jousse.

The Golden Boot - Matlama's Motebang Sera (right)

The date and venue for the ceremony are still to be confirmed.

Here are the nominees in the different categories with the prize money:

Player of the season - M5000.00

Motebang Sera (Matlama)

Jane Thaba-Ntšo (Matlama)

Jerry Kamela (Lioli)

Young Player of the season - M2000.00

Khubetsoana Kamela (Linare)

Lesia Thetsane (Kick4Life)

Roboama Koloti (Sundawana)

Coach of the season - M2000.00

Mpitsa Marai (LCS)

Mosholi Mokhothu (Lioli)

Moses Maliehe (Matlama)

Players’ Player of the season – M2500.00

Roboama Koloti (Sundawana)

Motebang Sera (Matlama)

Jerry Kamela (Lioli)

Goalkeeper of the season – M2500.00

Sele Thetsane (Kick4Life)

Kananelo Makhooane (Lioli)

Daniel Jousse (LCS)

Top goal scorer (Golden Boot) – M3000.00

Motebang Sera (Matlama) – 14 goals

Referee of the season – M2000.00

Lebalang Mokete

Osiase Koto

Retšelisitsoe Molise

Assistant Referee of the season – M2000.00

Souru Phatsoane

Mapoho Mapoho

Pali Pali