Lesotho rugby coach Nyasha-Zhou pleased with Likoatola progress

Likoatola preparations are going well says coach Nyasha-Zhou....

Lesotho rugby coach Roy Nyasha-Zhou says he is thrilled with the progress of the national team, Likoatola, in its preparations for October’s Rugby Africa 1D South competition.

Nyasha-Zhou selected a revamped 35-man Lesotho squad in March to begin preparing for the tournament and the side has been in training since.

The team got its first taste of action together weeks ago when it played as Maseru Select at the Welkom Easter Rugby tournament hosted by the Bronville Pioneer Club in Free State, South Africa over Easter.

Maseru Select finished second losing to home side Bronville Pioneer in the final.

It was their only loss.

Maseru Select overpowered Thabong 14-0 in their opening game before outclassing Rovers 29-12. Nyasha-Zhou’s charges then overcame Bronville Pioneer 12-10 in their last round robin game before falling 26-7 to the hosts in the final.

Nyasha-Zhou said the experience of playing against South African teams was the first for several players in his squad but their performance was excellent. The event was the 22nd edition of the Welkom Easter Rugby tournament and the fourth year a Lesotho team has taken part.

Importantly, the outing served as part of preparations for the Rugby Africa 1D South showdown where Lesotho will host Swaziland and Malawi. The tournament will be held in Mafeteng and the winner will stand a chance to gain promotion to the 1C tier of Africa’s rugby pyramid.

“The preparations for the qualifying games are on track, we are preparing so that we are ready for anything from our opponents,” Nyasha-Zhou said. “The performance in Welkom shows that the players will be ready to stand the pressure (against Swaziland and Malawi).”

Maseru Select in action at Welkom Easter Tournament...

Evidence of Maseru Select’s fine display was left-wing Lebohang Ntšinyi being selected as the Welkom competition’s best player.

Nyasha-Zhou said the tournament has boosted his team’s confidence as it continues to prepare.

“We are able to stun teams that used to beat us in the past three years. We just still need to strengthen their front row and our scrums,” Nyasha-Zhou said before issuing a warning to Likoatola’s opponents Swaziland and Malawi.

“We are not going to disrespect them but they must be ready for war.”

Maseru Select line-up in Welkom:

15. Sechaba Mokhele, 14. Alex Ncheke, 13. Thabo Makuta, 12. Motlatsi Moabi, 11. Lebohang Ntšinyi, 10. Tinashe Mugayi, 9. Reatile Joele, 8. Tšepo Nomandla, 7. Litšitso Motšeremeli, 6 Rethabile Sekola, 5. Tlali Nkuka, 4. Motheo Mokhothu, 3. Realeboha Segoete, 2. Mokone Chabana, 1. Thabiso Letsie

Replacements:

16. Ntsane Mahlatsi, 17. Fetang Selialia, 18. Metsing Mahloane, 19. Samuel Takama, Karabo Mphaki, 20. Rethabile Molumo, 21. Mosala Makeka

Technical team:

Kalinyanae Makhetha (backs coach)

Moleleki Moleleki (assistant coach)

Roy Nyasha Zhou (head coach)

Africa Cup 1D Groups:

Southern Group Lesotho Swaziland Malawi West 1 Benin Ghana Togo West 2 Burkina Faso Mali Niger Centre Burundi DRC Gabon

35-man Lesotho rugby squad announced

A new Likoatola squad has been announced...

Lesotho national rugby coach Roy Nyasha-Zhou and his assistant Moleleki Moleleki have called up a total of 35 players to begin preparations for the Rugby Africa 1D South tournament in October where Lesotho will host Swaziland and Malawi.

The squad has already begun training sessions and Nyasha-Zhou said Likoatola have been invited to participate in a three-day Easter rugby festival to be held in Welkom, South Africa.

The selection sees several changes and additions.

Nyasha-Zhou said some of the changes had been brought about by the unavailability of players who are out of the country because of school and work commitments. The squad also includes players from Giants Rugby who returned to the fold in January after they had been banned last February by the Federation of Lesotho Rugby (FLR).

FLR general secretary Litšitso Motšeremeli expressed satisfaction at the fact the majority of local clubs were represented in Nyasha-Zhou’s squad. He said it is a sign of the increasing depth of the Lesotho Rugby Championship as Lesotho looks to make more progress up Rugby Africa’s ladder via the Africa Cup.

The yearly Africa Cup is split into four divisions – Division 1A, Division 1B, Division 1C and Division 2 – with promotion and relegation between the divisions. It is contested by all Rugby Africa member nations expect for South Africa.

This year the Division 1A competition will be contested by continental giants Kenya, Namibia and Uganda as well as recently promoted Senegal.

Lesotho’s 1D league, meanwhile, is divided into four zones: South, West 1, West 2 and Centre. Should Likoatola clinch promotion to the Rugby Africa 1C division, it will mark another impressive achievement by the FLR since it was formed in 2012.

“If we win promotion we will now be going to play against the likes of Nigeria,” Motšeremeli said.

Likoatola squad:

Samuel Takama, Motheo Mokhothu, Reatile Joele, Lebohang Ntšinyi, Ntsane Mahlatsi, Metsing Mahloane, Rethabile Sekola, Relebohile Lethale, Motlatsi Moabi, Ramalebo Makoa, Molumo Rethabile, Kalinyane Makhetha, Tlali Nkuka, Fetang Selialia, Lit’sitso Mot’seremeli, Karabo Mphaki, Karabo Mphaki, Nomandla Tšepo, Tinashe Mugayi, Makeka Mosala, Makhaola Koatsa, Mokone Chabana, Bokang Seliane, Realeboha Segoete, Moleleki, Roy Nyasha Zhou, Bongi Machesetsa, Alex Ncheke, Lejakane Tumelo, Morapeli Motaung, Thabiso Letsie, Mathealira Selomo, Liteboho Mahase, Lehlohonolo Thejane, Rethabile Molumo

Selialia becomes Lesotho Rugby’s first elected president

Another milestone for Lesotho rugby

Fetang Selialia has become the first elected president of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby after the FLR held its first-ever elections on Sunday.

Selialia had been president since 2014 after he took over from the association’s first leader, Daniel Aylward. However, the previous committee was the one which founded the FLR and was not elected.

This all changed on Sunday when Selialia was given another four-year term as head of the federation unchallenged.

The election also saw voting for the positions of FLR vice-president, secretary-general and for three executive committee members.

The positions of president, treasurer and vice secretary-general were uncontested.

Letsielo Mabitle, who was public relations officer in the previous committee, won the seat of vice-president position after beating former vice-president, Moleleki Moleleki. Litšitso Motšeremeli, meanwhile, retained his position as secretary-general after beating out Bokang Tšoanamatsie.

The executive committee members elected were Tokelo Bolata with 12 votes, Mahlatsi Ntsane (8 votes) and Setumo Monikasi (9 votes).

Selialia expressed delight with the smoothness of the elections. He also commended the committee’s passion and love for the sport.

Lesotho has enjoyed a rapid rise in rugby. The country is now a full member of the continental governing body, Rugby Africa. The national team Likoatola has also been promoted to the 1C division in Rugby Africa’s hierarchy despite only playing its first match in 2014.

FLR president Fetang Selialia

Selialia said the continued success of rugby is now in the hands of the new FLR committee.

“We have to work together,” Selialia said. “We have to attend and organise regular meetings and work hard for the federation to have money. We also have to look for and attract sponsors who will help us build our standards.”

Speaking on behalf of the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC) and the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC), LNOC head of programmes Pulumo Nchakha advised the newly-elected FLR committee to revise its constitution and set clear election guidelines for the future.

“All you want to achieve can be achieved through a well-revised constitution. I also advise you to have an athletes’ representative in the committee,” Nchakha said.

FLR executive committee:

Position	Name
President	Fetang Selialia
Vice-President	Letsielo Mabitle
Secretary-General	Litšitso Motšeremeli
Vice Secretary-General	Mokhethinyane Mpakeletsa
Treasurer	Morapeli Motaung
Executive Committee Members	Tokelo Bolata Ntsane Mahlatsi Setumo Monikasi