Moorosi Tsiane
DIFFERENT premier league teams have already started their preparations for the new season which is anticipated to start soon.
Supporters are surely dying to see some local football action after almost seven months of football drought since soccer activities were suspended in mid-March on the back of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) resolved to end the 2019/20 season in July in its current state. However, Matlama challenged the decision and the protest is now before the court of arbitration.
That has not stopped teams from preparing for what promises to be an interesting season with 16 teams, two up from the usual 14.
According to LeFA, they are hoping that the new season will be up and running starting as they are still awaiting the government’s greenlight for the resumption of sports.
Linare has been one of the busiest in the market having secured the signatures of former Lifofane skipper John Mofokeng and former Liphakoe midfielder Tšeole Ranthimo. The side has also reunited with former captain Mabuti Potloane who is returning from Matlama.
Tse Tala had already assembled a good squad last season with the likes of Rethabile Selonyane, Rethabile Rasethuntša and Jerry Kamela who were at some point donning national team colours. The side also signed Makhabane Mpeli, Basia Tseki and Siyabonga Mkhize.
There is no doubt that Linare will be the team to beat this coming season. The side just needs to solve its off the field issues which have been negatively affecting the side in recent seasons.
The team must also find a common training ground for all its players rather than having two training venues in Maseru and in Maputsoe.
This will help the technical team to get full access to the team which will in turn, make it easier to assess them for matches.
We have moved from times when teams used to train in groups and if we are to professionalise our topflight league, then we must do things differently.
Linare have great players whom I believe they can push the likes of Bantu, Lioli and Matlama all the way to the wire in the title race. However, they must make up their minds.
Bantu, Lioli and Matlama’s squads always train together and that gives them an upper hand and their dominance in the top flight league is ample evidence that their strategies are working.
The side must also appoint a coach with whom the management will be patient unlike in the past where they have been chopping and changing coaches.
It surely looks like Linare will be a rejuvenated in the coming season and it will be interesting to watch how far they can go in upsetting the other sides.
