Leemisa Thuseho
MATLAMA head-coach, Halemakale Mahlaha, has extended his stay at the club for another season.
Mahlaha joined Tse Putsoa – as Matlama are affectionately known – in October last year and was tasked with leading the premier league outfit until the end of the 2022/23 season.
He replaced former coach, Molebatsi Mothobi, who left soon after leading the team to the 2021/22 Vodacom Premier League (VPL) title.
However, under Mahlaha and his assistant Mosito Matela, Matlama failed to defend the championship and let Bantu snatch it from under their noses, much to the disappointment of their legion of supporters.
Under Mahlaha’s tutelage, Matlama endured a very rough patch which saw them even
failing to make it into the top four of the 16-team premiership as they ended the season a distant 6th on the table.
The Maseru-based giants won 17 matches, drew five and lost eight times to cap a disappointing campaign as they were the title-holders.
However, observers attributed the below-par performance to administrative challenges which, among others, saw players being paid half salaries and going on strike over delayed wages.
Matlama’s new executive, which was elected into office on Saturday, appears to have taken the administrative squabbles into consideration as it has since resolved to give Mahlaha a one-year contract with an option to extend the deal.
The clubs communications and marketing manager, Ramafahla Thamae, confirmed the developments to the Lesotho Times yesterday, and emphasised that they were expecting a much better performance from the team this time around.
“I can confirm that the first thing the new committee did was meet with the coach and agreed to extend his contract with one year plus the extension option. His mandate is very simple; it is to win us the league come next season,” Thamae said.
Mahlaha was allowed to appoint his own technical team, which left Matela’s future hanging in the balance. The Lesotho Times was unable to find out yesterday if Matela would continue in his previous role or leave the team.
In the meantime, while other premier league clubs had since started signing new players in preparation for next season, Matlama have not announced even one acquisition—a situation Thamae however, said would soon change.
“We have given him the greenlight to work on his team and give us the list of players he wants and those he wants to release,” Thamae said.
Despite being new in office, the Matlama committee seems to have hit the ground
running as it has also announced the appointment of ‘Mota Ramokhele as general manager on a five-year contract. He is succeeding Lebenya Makakole.
