Jelusic eyes winning start against Seychelles

Newly appointed Lesotho coach Veselin Jelusic is confident of a winning start as the Mountain Kingdom country prepares to take on Seychelles in the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round qualifiers.

The Serbian mentor’s first task with Lesotho, is to help them secure a place in the group stage of the continental showpiece to be staged in the Ivory Coast in 2023.

“During this time of our preparations, we have been working on the improvement of all phases of the game. From the offensive play, the build-up, position of the ball, preparing and finalising attacks, transition, set pieces and others,” Jelusic stated.

“Of course, we pay great attention on the defensive part of the game. We have also been working on individual group and team tactics.”

The veteran tactician, who has also coached the Botswana and Angola national team, said he has been impressed with the commitment of the players since taking over the job early in February.

“We are very happy with the commitment our players. They are very dedicated at their work and during practices. We are positive, optimistic and we know Seychelles will give us a tough game,” the experienced coach said.

“We believe that we will pass this phase of the competition and qualify for the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. We respect Seychelles, but I strong believe that we will qualify for AfCON.

“The preparations started before I arrived and I’m happy with the progress made with the coaches that were here. I believe the team spirit and experience that we have now will give us the results that we need,” he said.

Seychelles will host the first leg match at the Cote D’ or Stadium in Mauritius on March 23, while the return match is scheduled for March 27, at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, South Africa.

Lesotho final squad to face Seychelles