MASERU — Lesotho’s Under-20 women’s team were bundled out of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup qualifiers after holding Kenya to a 2-2 draw at Setsoto Stadium on Sunday.Lesotho’s goals came from the boots of Kefuoe Makoa and Puleng Lekotokoto but the draw was not enough to send Likhetho Mokhathi’s charges through to the next round.Kenya had run out 2-0 winners in the first leg in Nairobi three weeks ago and will now meet Zambia in the first round of the qualifiers in February next year.But despite the draw, women’s football president Maleshoane Mokhathi said she hoped that wouldn’t be the end of the road for the young side.Mokhathi said she will propose to the Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) to keep the national women’s Under-20 team together.“We are going to propose to the association that the team should not be disbanded and that they are kept together,” Mokhathi said.“The standard of the league isn’t very good at the moment, that’s why we are not challenging any clubs. We would like to keep the team together with the aim to play more international friendly matches.”Mokhathi also praised the performance of the Under-20 team against Kenya.
“I’m very proud of the team, it’s just the mishaps that can happen in a game but they showed the country that they were there to win,” Mokhathi said.
The Women’s Under-20 World Cup will be played in Uzbekistan where 16 teams, comprising representatives from all six confederations are expected to take part.Mokhathi said there was hope for the future. “They have a very bright future, some will still be able to play in the Under-20 team for another three years,” Mokhathi said. The progress of the Under-20 side coupled with Lesotho’s performance at the Cosafa women’s championship earlier in the year where Lesotho was able to claim a victory means there is plenty to be positive about, Mokhathi said. “The core of that team was made up of the Under-20. I believe these girls have talent. They just need to be given time and opportunities to develop,” Mokhathi said.
