Leemisa Thuseho
NEWLY appointed Lijabatho head coach, Mark Harrison, has set ambitious targets for the club, with winning the league title and making history in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League topping his priority list.
Since officially taking over from former head coach, Kabelo Malapane, who has now assumed the role of assistant coach, Harrison has made an impressive start, winning his two opening matches. He guided the team to a 3-1 victory over Villa before securing a convincing 3-0 win against LCS on Sunday.
The defending champions currently sit at the top of the league standings with 23 points.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times this week, Harrison said his immediate mission was to defend the league title and secure a return to the CAF Champions League.
Beyond that, he wants to guide Lijabatho into the competition’s group stages, a milestone that would make the club the first Lesotho side to achieve the feat.
Lijabatho made its CAF Champions League debut this season but exited in the preliminary round after losing 2-0 away to Madagascar’s CFFA before drawing 1-1 at home against the same opponents.
“Genuinely, I would like to win this league,” Harrison told the Lesotho Times.
“That will take us to CAF, and we would want to at least reach the group stages. That would be a big thing because I think then we’d be the first team in Lesotho to make the CAF group stages.”
However, Harrison acknowledged that reaching the continental competition’s group stages would not be easy, noting that success would also depend partly on favourable draws.
“I know making the CAF group stages is not an easy thing. Sometimes you need a little bit of luck with the draw. But if you get a nice couple of draws, then you have got a chance.
“Going to CAF and reaching the group stages would be an amazing thing. I would be happy if we could do that.”
Since taking charge, Harrison has expressed satisfaction with the squad’s progress and the players’ response to his coaching philosophy. He also revealed his intention to introduce a style of football built around passing and possession.
“So far, so good. I cannot complain too much. I want us to play a passing game.
“That is what I believe in, and I think today (Sunday) we were probably at about 70-75 percent. I think we have still got another 15-20 percent to go. But that will come over the next few weeks or months, and we will get there.”
Asked to assess the standard of football in Lesotho since his arrival, Harrison said he had been encouraged by the country’s football talent, although he acknowledged that infrastructure, particularly the quality of playing surfaces, remained a challenge.
Drawing on his extensive experience across the continent, he said such challenges were not unique to Lesotho, as every country had its own circumstances.
“I have worked all over Africa, so Africa is not new to me. I am English, but I’ve been in Africa for 20-odd years, coaching all around. In every country you go to, there are different challenges.
“Obviously, some of the fields may not be at the standard we would like.
“Lesotho is a small country, and it takes time, I guess, to improve. I am also willing to bring something into this country’s football,” Harrison said.
The British coach is equally confident in the quality of players at his disposal, insisting that Lesotho has plenty of talent that can be developed through hard work and proper guidance.
“We are having a decent squad, and I just think, with a lot of work on the training field, we can definitely improve, without a doubt.”
With the Premier League taking a break until 28 November to accommodate the FIFA international window, scheduled for 9 to 17 November, and the Maluti Mountain Cement Charity Cup set for 21 November, Harrison plans to give his players a short break before resuming preparations.
“I am going to give the boys two or three days’ rest now. They deserve it, and then we will get back onto the field and start working again and preparing for the next game,” he said.
Harrison has signed a one-year contract with Lijabatho and brings extensive coaching experience from across the African continent, having worked in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
His coaching résumé includes spells with South African clubs Black Leopards, Mpumalanga Black Aces, Chippa United and Golden Arrows. He has also coached Zimbabwean giants CAPS United and Botswana’s Township Rollers.
With an ambitious vision, an experienced technical background and a promising start to his tenure, Harrison appears determined to take Lijabatho to new heights, both domestically and on the continental stage.
