MASERU — Lesotho is next year expected back in continental club competition after a two-year hiatus blamed on financial constraints and the lack of a venue that meets international standards.
Newly crowned Vodacom Premier League champions Matlama are expected to represent the country in the CAF Champions League next year.
LCS and Lioli missed out on the continent’s premier club tournament in the last two years.
They could not even take part in the inferior CAF Confederation Cup.
The Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) did not enter any team in the competition chiefly because of financial constraints.
With Setsoto, the country’s only stadium with a modicum of international standards, unavailable due to renovations it became a bigger ask for Lefa to enter the teams in the continental tournaments.
However, Lefa’s acting chief executive officer Mokhosi Mohapi this week all but confirmed Lesotho was likely to be represented in Africa next year.
But he said the final decision rested with Lefa’s national executive committee.
He said entering the tournaments also depended on the association’s financial standing.
“That is not to say Matlama are not going to play (in Africa), but that is at the discretion of the NEC. Period,” a non-committal Mohapi told the Lesotho Times.
Meanwhile, Mohapi said Lesotho will be part of the 2013 African Nations Cup qualifiers after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced last Friday it had moved the tournament to odd years.
This means the 2014 edition, to be hosted by Libya, has been moved forward by a year.
Lesotho did not enter the qualifying draw for the 2012 Nations Cup draw.
