14-839: The Lesotho Football Association ( LeFA ) is the governing body of association football in Lesotho , a landlocked country in Southern Africa . It was formed in 1932 and it is based in the city of Maseru . The board helps run the Lesotho national football team as well as domestic competitions such as the Lesotho Premier League , the Lesotho Independence Cup and the Vodacom Soccer Spectacular . Despite been formed in 1932,
28-557: A football school, a fitness center and two saunas. The cost of the Sports Arena was about $ 800,000, of which FIFA took over as paid $ 400,000 as part of the Goal project. Other football fields in Lesotho are often very simple, so there are no spectator stands there. The largest stadium by capacity in Lesotho is the 13,900-capacity Setsoto Stadium . Lesotho national football team Too Many Requests If you report this error to
42-522: Is Likuena (Sesotho for "the crocodiles"). The women's national team is ranked 169 (its lowest ranking to date) in the Women's FIFA rankings (as of December 2022). The top national division is the Lesotho Women's Super League . In the 1980s, the " National Stadium " (Setsoto Stadium) was built in the capital Maseru. The project was originally directed and funded by North Korea. Under pressure from
56-481: Is the lawyer Salemane Phafane . The Lesotho Premier League was founded in 1970 as the highest national league. At times it bore the names of sponsors. For example, during the 2013/14 season it was called the Vodacom Premier League. Most clubs come from the capital Maseru. Some clubs are associated with institutions such as the army, police and the judiciary. The annual highlight is the cup games for
70-694: The COSAFA Women's Championship on two occasions. In Lesotho, the Lesotho Premier League is the top domestic football league. The winner of the league qualifies for the CAF Champions League . As of October 2016 the president of LEFA is Salemane Phafane. In February 2022, Lesotho Football Association appointed former Angola and Botswana boss Veselin Jelusic as their new coach. Football in Lesotho The sport of football in
84-607: The German Antoine Hey coached the national side. The ambitious goal was the qualification for the 2010 World Cup in neighbouring South Africa . However, after one and a half years, Hey was dismissed for failing. The successor was the Serb Zavisa Milosavljevic , who was also dismissed in September 2009 and was replaced by Lesotho native Leslie Notši , who was previously the assistant coach of
98-559: The Lesotho Football Association did not gain membership of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body for association football, until 1964. In 1963, LEFA gained membership of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF is the controlling body for African association football and membership of it is required to compete in qualifying for Africa Cup of Nations or
112-696: The South African government, the North Koreans had to leave the country. The stadium was finished under a different direction. In 2002, the new Setsoto Stadium was inaugurated by then FIFA President Sepp Blatter . Setsoto is the Sesotho word for "The Wonderful" or "The Amazement". The stadium holds, after a conversion, 20,000 spectators. At the same time, Maseru's "technical centre" was the Bambatha Tsita Sports Arena, which has
126-597: The country of Lesotho is run by the Lesotho Football Association . The association administers the national football team , as well as the Premier League . Football is the most popular sport in the country. The Lesotho Football Association was founded in 1932 and renamed, in 1992, as "Lesotho Football Association" (LEFA). In 1964, they joined FIFA and the CAF . The current president
140-538: The event itself. LEFA is also part of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) which acts as an association of football associations for Southern African countries. Lesotho joined COSAFA in 1997 which is the year COSAFA was formed. COSAFA organises the COSAFA Cup , a competition Lesotho has finished runners-up twice. LEFA runs the Lesotho national football team , whose first international match
154-599: The independence celebrations on 4 October, in which four teams each participate. The 14 clubs of the Lesotho Premier League compete the trophy. Record champions include Maseru's Matlama FC and Lesotho Defense Force and their predecessors from Maseru, each with ten titles (including a title from Matlama in 1969). Lesotho Prison's service / Lesotho Correctional Services has won six league titles, Lioli FC five titles and Arsenal FC, Linare FC and Maseru United / Maseru Brothers three titles each. Lioli FC are also
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#1732772523315168-532: The most successful club in the country not to come from Maseru. The national team of Lesotho played their first international match in 1970, a 2–1 victory against Malawi . They have not qualified for a FIFA World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations yet. Their highest position in the FIFA World Ranking was 105th in August 2014. They are currently ranked 147th (as of December 2022). From 2004 to 2006,
182-469: The national team. In 2014 Seephephe "Mochini" Matete trained the team, a former international. Moses Maliehe became the coach in 2016. The biggest success of the national team was reaching the final in the regional competition of the COSAFA Cup 2000. In 2004 they could have, for the first time, qualified for a team for an under 20 national continental championship. The nickname of the national team
196-480: Was a 2–1 win against Malawi in 1970. The Lesotho national team has never qualified for an Africa Cup of Nations or a World Cup but they have competed in multiple COSAFA Cups with the first being the 1999 edition . The national team reached the final of the 2000 COSAFA Cup but lost 6–0 on aggregate to Zimbabwe . LEFA also helps in the running of the Lesotho women's national football team . They played their first international match in 1998 and have since competed in
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