…as beach volleyball embarks on Olympic Games qualification journey
Leemisa Thuseho
THE Lesotho senior women’s beach volleyball team is set to begin its Olympic Games qualification campaign at the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone VI African Nations Championship (CAN) qualifiers from 30 April to 2 May in Maputo, Mozambique.
The event will mark Moholo Lekomola’s first assignment since his appointment as head coach earlier this month, following the resignation of Thabiso Maboee.
Teams from Zone VI expected to compete include Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, all battling for places in the main CAN event.
The championship itself is scheduled to run between 1 August and 15 November 2026 at a venue yet to be confirmed by CAVB.
CAN will serve as a crucial qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with Lesotho aiming to secure its first-ever appearance in beach volleyball at the global showpiece.
While in Mozambique, the team will also take part in the CAVB Zone VI Beach Volleyball Tour (leg three of the 2026 season), scheduled for 3 to 5 May.
Lesotho will be represented by four players competing in pairs. Moroesi Tolofi will partner Neo Chapole in the first team, while Palesa Mapota teams up with Relebohile Ndaga in the second pair.
In an interview with the Lesotho Times, Lekomola expressed confidence in his squad and said he is ready to begin his tenure on a positive note.
“I was happy with the team, but there were a few areas I had to work on, particularly endurance,” he said.
“With the work done, I am confident the team is ready and their endurance will carry them through both events.”
Lekomola, one of the pioneers of beach volleyball in Lesotho who played a key role in introducing the sport in 2018, also raised concerns about its development in the country. Despite consistent regional participation, he believes more progress is needed.
“In terms of participation, I am satisfied, although my concern is that we are limited to zonal competitions when we should be going beyond the region,” he said.
