MASERU — Lesotho national women’s football team crashed out of the Cosafa Women Championships after they succumbed to a 5-2 loss to Malawi in Harare on Tuesday.
Mehalalitoe, who only needed a draw to proceed to the semi-finals, meekly bowed down to Malawi in a pulsating tie in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
The defeat came two days after Mehalalitoe rewrote the history books with their first championship victory at a senior level against Mozambique.
They won the match 3-2.
Mehalalitoe turned on the power against Mozambique after losing their opening tie, a morale sapping 4-0 loss to hosts Zimbabwe on Saturday.
According to reports from Zimbabwe, the Mehalalitoe players upped their game against Mozambique, as the team’s management refrained from subjecting the team to unnecessary pressure.
Speaking from Harare, Mehalalitoe team manager, Maleshoane Mokhathi, said their opening match against Zimbabwe was tough.
“It was one hell of a game,” Mokhathi said.
“The Zimbabweans were all over us from the first minute till the last. They play very good football as a team compared to the team that we played against in 2002,” she said.
She however said the locals stood up to the challenge and fought until the end.
“Let me salute the girls for the bravery they showed when they played the seasoned Zimbabwean players.
“They fought like real women and stood to the challenge until the end of the game.
“The little girls showed character, fighting spirit, and togetherness but they lacked the experience and mature skills that were displayed by our opponents,” Mokhathi said.
Mokhathi said the locals used the Mozambique game to exact revenge for the bitter defeat they suffered at the hands of Zimbabwe.
“The management made sure that they did not put the girls under pressure as they are relatively young and inexperienced.”
“Because of this, they went on to beat Mozambique 3-2 and made all of us proud as management and a country,” she said.
The Cosafa Women Championship began on Saturday and will run until Saturday.
