Women’s football is worryingly lagging behind in Lesotho, as evidenced by the lack of representation at the ongoing CAF A coaching course at the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) headquarters.
23 coaches have been enrolled, including one international, James Madidilane, but there were no women.
This is because they do not qualify, and the two most qualified coaches, Elizabeth Yelimala and Puseletso Mokhosi are no longer active. The two hold CAF B Licences.
Few women in football in Lesotho hold CAF C Licences, and only recently has there been an upsurge of women enrolling in CAF D.
The association’s secretary general Mokhosi Mohapi raised his dissatisfaction with the education department for not having women and threatened to suspend the CAF A course until at least there is 30 per cent women representation.
“I am hurt that the coordinator of this course went against the association’s policy to include women. The only way women’s football will grow in this country is if we stop this practice that I am seeing that this is for women’s football and this is for football, I don’t know that,” he said.
“It’s time we put them here, train and develop them together with you. They will share the same knowledge because you are advanced. They will have a double take from the instructors and you,” he continued.
This is the second highest coaching qualification in the continent. CAF demand coaches to have it to sit on the bench during their competitions. Unsurprisingly, the association was overwhelmed by the number of applicants from South Africa but had turned them down.
Mohapi said that given how much it would cost to undergo this course in other countries, in Lesotho, they are handing it for free. Applicants are required to pay M1 500, and the association is subsidising it by M360 000. Madidilane was an exception, given his contribution to local football with Bantu and the national team for the time he was working in Lesotho.
The course is being held in three segments. Each segment is 10 days, followed by four weeks of internship and practical.
