Lesotho national football team

The Lesotho national football team represents Lesotho in men's international football and is governed by the Lesotho Football Association. The team's nickname is (Likuena) Crocodiles. The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals and the Africa Cup of Nations finals in history. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Lesotho women's national football team.
Lesotho
Nickname(s)Likuena (Crocodiles)
AssociationLesotho Football Association
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationCOSAFA
(Southern Africa)
Head coachThabo Senong
Most capsBushi Moletsane (53)
Top scorerRefiloe Potse (9)
Home stadiumSetsoto Stadium
FIFA codeLES
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 143 (10 December 2020)[1]
Highest105 (August 2014)
Lowest185 (August 2011)
First international
 Lesotho 2–1 Malawi 
(Malawi; 8 August 1970)
Biggest win
 Lesotho 5–0 Swaziland 
(Maseru, Lesotho; 14 April 2006)
Biggest defeat
 Zambia 9–0 Lesotho 
(Botswana; 8 August 1988)

History

The team played their first international match in 1970, a 2–1 victory against Malawi. They have not qualified for a FIFA World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations yet.

Their highest position in the FIFA World Ranking was 105th in August 2014.

Their biggest ever win was 5–0 against Swaziland in April 2006.

From 2004 to 2006, the German Antoine Hey coached the national side. The ambitious goal was the qualification for the 2010 World Cup in neighbouring South Africa. However, after one and a half years, Hey was dismissed for failing. The successor was the Serb Zavisa Milosavljevic, who was also dismissed in September 2009 and was replaced by Lesotho native Leslie Notši, who was previously the assistant coach of the national team. In 2014 Seephephe "Mochini" Matete trained the team, a former international. Moses Maliehe became the coach in 2016.

The biggest success of the national team was reaching the final of the 2000 COSAFA Cup. In 2005 the under-20 national team qualified for the 2005 African Youth Championship. They finished third place of Group B, with a win and two losses.

The nickname of the national team is Likuena (Sesotho for "the crocodiles").

Achievements
COSAFA Cup :

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1970 Part of United Kingdom Part of United Kingdom
1974 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 6
1978 Did not enter Did not enter
1982 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 4
1986 Withdrew Withdrew
1990
1994 Did not enter Did not enter
1998
2002 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 3
2006 2 0 1 1 1 4
2010 6 0 0 6 2 16
2014 8 2 3 3 7 17
2018 2 0 2 0 1 1
2022 2 0 2 0 1 1
2026 To be determined To be determined
Total 0/22 26 2 10 14 15 55

Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
1957 to 1963 Part of United Kingdom
1965 to 1972 Did not enter
1974 Did not qualify
1976 Withdrew
1978 Did not enter
1980 to 1982Did not qualify
1984 Withdrew
1986 Did not enter
1988 Withdrew
1990 to 1992Did not enter
1994 Did not qualify
1996 Withdrew during qualifying
1998 Banned for withdrawing in 1996
2000 to
2010		 Did not qualify
2012 Did not enter
2013 to 2019Did not qualify
2021 To be determined
2023 To be determined
2025 To be determined
Total 0/32

COSAFA Cup
Main article: COSAFA Cup
COSAFA Cup record
Year Rank Pld W D L GF GA
1997 0000000
1998 0000000
1999 0000000
2000 0000000
2001 0000000
2002 0000000
2003 0000000
2004 0000000
2005 0000000
2006 0000000
2007 0000000
2008 0000000
2009 0000000
2013 0000000
2015 0000000
2016 0000000
2017 0000000
2018 0000000
2019 0000000
Total 0/19 ------

Recent results and fixtures

2019
13 November 2019 (2019-11-13) 2021 AFCONQ Sierra Leone  1–1  Lesotho Freetown, Sierra Leone
16:00 UTC±0
  • Thabantso  90'
 Stadium: National Stadium
Attendance: 0
17 November 2019 (2019-11-17) 2021 AFCONQ Lesotho  2–4  Nigeria Maseru, Lesotho
18:00 UTC+2
Stadium: Setsoto Stadium

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia on 4 and 8 September 2019.

Caps and goals correct as of: 4 September 2019, after the match against  Ethiopia
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Likano Mphuthing (1998-12-22) 22 December 1998 12 0 Lesotho Defence Force
16 1GK Lichaba Thabiso (1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 3 0 Bantu
2 2DF Motlomelo Mkhwanazi (1994-11-05) 5 November 1994 9 0 Bantu
3 2DF Basia Makepe (1991-03-04) 4 March 1991 37 1 Lesotho Mounted Police Service
4 2DF Rethabile Rasethuntsa (1994-11-22) 22 November 1994 2 0 Linare
14 2DF Rethabile Mokokoana (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 0 0 Free agent
19 2DF Nkau Lerotholi (1990-09-27) 27 September 1990 54 2 Matlama
5 3MF Tshwarelo Bereng (1990-10-30) 30 October 1990 10 1 Black Leopards
6 3MF Lisema Lebokollane (1993-02-24) 24 February 1993 2 0 Matlama
7 3MF Hlompho Kalake (1994-09-02) 2 September 1994 42 2 Bantu
10 3MF Lehlohonolo Fothoane (1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 7 1 Bantu
11 3MF Tsoanelo Koetle (1992-11-22) 22 November 1992 48 2 Lioli
12 3MF Neo Mokhachane (1996-09-22) 22 September 1996 0 0 Bantu
8 4FW Tsepo Toloane (1997-07-15) 15 July 1997 13 0 Lesotho Defence Force
9 4FW Sera Motebang (1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 27 7 Bloemfontein Celtic
13 4FW Masoabi Nkoto (1992-01-14) 14 January 1992 18 1 Lioli
15 4FW Jane Thabantso (1996-01-22) 22 January 1996 46 5 Matlama
17 4FW Tsepo Seturumane (1992-07-06) 6 July 1992 32 8 Lioli
18 4FW Tumelo Khutlang (1995-10-23) 23 October 1995 28 2 Black Leopards

Managers

Kit Suppliers

International matches record

As of 17 November 2019 after match against  Nigeria[2]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Algeria200219−8
 Angola8116416−12
 Botswana30511142335−12
 Burkina Faso200203−3
 Burundi211032+1
 Cameroon210134−1
 Cape Verde2020110
 Comoros5221330
 DR Congo7043417−13
 Ethiopia402235−2
 Gabon4013310−7
 Gambia210116−5
 Ghana7016723−16
 Guinea201124−2
 Kenya8143610−4
 Laos110031+2
 Liberia210121+1
 Libya200205−5
 Madagascar310234−1
 Malawi2034131243−31
 Malaysia100105−5
 Mauritius146352322+1
 Mozambique223712931−22
 Myanmar100101−1
 Namibia1134412120
 Niger2101330
 Nigeria300327−5
 São Tomé and Príncipe201101−1
 Senegal200204−4
 Seychelles210123−1
 Sierra Leone1010110
 South Africa132471022−12
 Sudan211031+2
 Swaziland401213154146−5
 Tanzania522145−1
 Uganda502308−8
 Zambia14068736−29
 Zimbabwe2427152354−31
Total2795185143224464−240

References
  1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  2. "World Football Elo Ratings: Lesotho". Elo Ratings. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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