Leemisa Thuseho
KABELO Malapane has been appointed head coach of Lijabatho following the departure of James Madidilane, the club has confirmed.
The South African tactician, who served as Madidilane’s assistant, was part of the technical team that guided Lijabatho to their historic first-ever Vodacom Premier League (VPL) title during the 2025/26 season.
Madidilane resigned at the end of the campaign before joining South African Premiership side, Golden Arrows, as an assistant coach, leaving the Morija-based outfit searching for a new coach ahead of a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
Rather than looking outside the club, Lijabatho opted for continuity by promoting Malapane to the top job.
This is not the first time Malapane has stepped into a role vacated by Madidilane. A similar scenario unfolded during their time at Bantu when Madidilane left to join Lijabatho. Malapane was subsequently appointed interim head coach at Bantu before later reuniting with his compatriot at Lijabatho as assistant coach.
Lijabatho Communications and Marketing Manager, Tankiso Moletsane, confirmed the appointment to the Lesotho Times yesterday.
“I can confirm that the management has reached a decision to appoint coach Malapane as the club’s head coach,” Moletsane said.
Malapane will be assisted by former LMPS and Members coach, Tiisetso Molete, while the technical department will be overseen by recently appointed technical director Paradise Moeketsi of South Africa.
The appointment marks another significant milestone in Malapane’s coaching career. He previously served as head coach of Majantja, his first senior coaching role in Lesotho, in 2018.
He now faces one of the biggest challenges of his career as he prepares the newly crowned league champions for their maiden CAF Champions League campaign while also seeking to defend the Vodacom Premier League title in the 2026/27 season.
