Lesotho Football Association Likuena captain Sekhoane Moerane has called on his teammates to leave it all in the field of play in Thursday’s preliminary round first leg tie of the 2027 African Cup of Nations against Seychelles.
The two countries will square-off at Toyota Stadium in the first of the two-legged tie, in which the winner will secure as spot in the group phase of the continental showpiece to be co-hosted by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in 2027.
“Coming to tomorrow’s games, we just need to fight and give it our all,” Moerane said.
“I know there is pressure because most of the people are saying, Lesotho has to win but looking at our previous game which ended in a one-all draw, that simply says, they are no pushover and we need to fight as a team.”
Moerane recalled how they had to dig deep playing the Islanders in the preliminary round of the 2023 Afcon tournament, in which Likuena advanced with a 3-1 aggregate win.
“If I recall well, we played them in the preliminary round in 2022, where they held us to a goalless draw in the first leg, but we managed to beat them on aggregate,” the goalkeeper said.
“I know sometimes when we play against teams that are seen as minnows, we tend to relax and don’t do well like we have done against powerhouses such as Nigeria, but we need to fight to get the results we want.
“One of the things that the coach has emphasized is to be clinical in front of goals because we are known for being good at defending and enjoying possession but not taking our chances to win matches.
“So, if us as players can execute the instructions we have been given, I have no doubt that we will win convinced,” he said.
