Leemisa Thuseho
LIKUENA coach, Bob Mafoso, has raised the alarm over declining fitness levels among his players as the national team steps up preparations for next month’s back-to-back 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Gabon.
The locally based players reported for a non-residential training camp on Monday, beginning with medical examinations before undergoing physical assessments on Tuesday. The team is expected to move into a residential camp next Monday.
Mafoso and his technical team are regrouping with the players following Likuena’s disappointing defeats in their previous two AFCON qualifiers, a 2-1 loss to Niger and a 2-0 defeat to Morocco last month.
Physical conditioning has been a major focus for Mafoso, who has repeatedly stressed the importance of fitness in modern football. However, the latest assessments have revealed a decline in performance among some players, raising concerns ahead of the crucial encounters.
Speaking about the players’ condition compared with when they left to join their respective clubs, Mafoso said the results of the team’s Bronco Test had exposed a drop in aerobic fitness and endurance.
The Bronco Test is a high-intensity shuttle run designed to measure aerobic capacity, speed endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness.
He said about 80 percent of the players had previously completed the test in four minutes and 28 seconds, but their latest times had deteriorated to four minutes and 52 seconds.
“When we last trained together, about 80 percent were hitting four minutes and 28 seconds, but after Tuesday’s test, they are hitting four minutes and 52 seconds,” Mafoso said.
The coach, however, refused to use the decline as an excuse, insisting that the technical team still had three weeks to work on improving the players’ condition before the matches.
“However, this is not an excuse. We are positive, and we will work towards improvement. Maybe things could have been worse, but the players are trying to stay in shape because they understand how difficult the international stage is and the pressure they face,” he said.
Mafoso also expressed concern over the players’ strength levels, indicating that physical conditioning remained an area requiring urgent attention.
“In terms of strength, it is also not in a good state,” he said.
The fitness concerns come at a difficult time for Likuena, who need positive results against Gabon to revive their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals after losing their opening two matches.
Mafoso said the players understood the pressure surrounding the upcoming fixtures but stressed that their response needed to be evident in their preparations rather than only on match day.
“Everyone understands the pressure, and that pressure should not only be felt on the day of the game but should also be reflected in how we prepare,” he said.
Likuena will face Gabon’s Panthers in the third and fourth matches of Group A when the qualifiers resume in November.
Gabon will host the first leg in Libreville on 13 November, before the two sides meet again at New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, on 17 November.
