Following in big brother’s footsteps-Khubetsoana Kamela 

Khubetsoana Kamela is on cloud nine after winning his first cap for the Lesotho senior national team in the final fixture of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against Ivory Coast.

The 26-year-old is among several players that came through the ranks playing for the Lesotho youth teams and was thrown into the deep end making the starting line-up against the West African giants on Saturday.

His older brother, Jerry was a member of the Makoanyane XI squad that qualified for the African Youth Championship in 2011 and went to make a mark with the senior team.

Jerry was a member of the Leslie Notṧi’s Likuena team that reached the semi-finals without a loss in 2013 and achieved the same feat with Moses Maliehe in 2016, where Lesotho was knocked out by Shakes Mashaba’s Bafana Bafana in the quarterfinals.

“I’m really honoured to have won my first cap for the national team. It’s a dream come true for me and I’m grateful to the technical team for giving me this opportunity,” Kamela said.

“I did not have any goosebumps as our advantage was that we knew a lot about the Ivorian team but it was the opposite with them because they knew very little about us, which gave us the advantage to suprise them.

“It was my chance to show my coaches what I can do for having given me this opportunity to represent my country at the highest level.”

The LMPS winger stated that he got a message of encouragement from his older brother, who told him not put himself under pressure and give his best in the field of play.

“Yes, we had a chat about my call up and he is very happy for me, Kamela said.

“He told me not to put myself under unnecessary pressure and should take every opportunity as it comes by running my race as he ran his as well with the national team.

“But of course, it was a special moment that I will cherish forever winning my first cap again a team of Ivory Coast’s calibre,” he said