Moorosi Tsiane
LDF goalminder Likano Mphuthi has been recalled into the senior national soccer team which is preparing for the World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia next month.
Mphuthi has been out of action since early this year after suffering a knee injury.
He last played for Likuena last October during the AFCON qualifiers against Uganda at Setsoto Stadium.
However, he was this week named among the players who will face Ethiopia next month.
Interim coach Leslie Notši has not made serious changes to the team that recently beat Bafana Bafana in the CHAN qualifiers as only Linare winger Rethabile Sethuntsa and Matlama goalkeeper Monaheng Ramalefane are only players left out of the team.
Other players who are back in the set up are strikers Nkoto Masoabi, Motebang Sera, midfielders Tumelo Khutlang and Tshwarelo Bereng who were all ineligible for CHAN since they are based outside the country.
Notši told the Lesotho Times yesterday that the LDF goalkeeper is in a good condition.
“I have been talking to his coaches and they confirmed that he is in a good shape and as we speak, he is in Zimbabwe with his club for a friendly,” Notši said.
“He has massive experience and has been our number one before the injury, so we need him.”
He said the reason for which they didn’t make wholesale changes on the team was that they intend to maintain continuity.
“It is more about continuity. We have seen the light with the current squad, so we don’t want to make unnecessary changes that will destabilise us in the end.
“The new faces would be players who are based in our foreign based players whom I believe will add value to the team since we want to assemble a formidable side,” he said.
Commenting on their opponents, Notši said Ethiopia was a good side but said they would focus on their strengths.
“They are a good side but lately haven’t been consistent.
“However, we cannot focus on that; we just need to work on our strengths and build from there. We also identified our shortfalls in the past two matches, so we will be working hard to rectify them in preparation for the game against Ethiopia,” Notši said.