By Mikia Kalati

MASERU — Former Lesotho Football Association, vice president, Tlholo Letete, believes re-elected football governing body president, Salemane Phafane, has an enormous task of rebranding football in the country.

Letete had hoped to enter the race for the presidential contest but was denied that chance by both the premier league and District Football Association of Leribe despite a request from his team Mphatlalatsane.

He told this paper that Phafane who is five days into his new term should focus on youth development to turn around the hopes of the country whose football has been on the downward spiral for years now.

Letete, also a former chairman of the premier league feels the other challenge will be maintaining the standards that Likuena achieved during the Cosafa Cup where the team reached the semi-finals.

“We need a holistic approach to different aspects of football and for me the most critical of it all is youth development,” Letete said.

He said it is important that the team maintains the standards achieved at the regional competition held in Zambia earlier this year.

“We need new ideas, but the most important thing is implementation,” said Letete.

He said there could be a bigger number of African countries playing in the World Cup after a call by Fifa president, Sepp Blater, that African nations are under-represented at the football showpiece event.

“This can only say that our team needs to improve and work towards qualifying for bigger competitions such as the World Cup especially after Blatter’s emphasis,” he said.

Letete said lack of infrastructure and facilities remain a big challenge.

“There is also that need to put mechanisms in place to address conflicts in the game and empower members within the structures of the association with training to help bring solidarity and stability,” Letete said.