KNOW ABOUT THE LESOTHO SQUAD AT THE HOLLYWOODBEST COSAFA CUP 2024
Goalkeepers:
Sekhoane Moerane: He is the reigning Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup goalkeeper of the Tournament after his heroics helped Likuena reach the final of the 2023 regional tourney for the first time since 2000.
Moerane produced a man of the match performance when he saved all the penalties and scored one as Lesotho defeated Malawi 3-0 on penalties in the final.
His stock continues to grow having recently scored a goal from his half in a friendly against Ethiopia played in March. Moerane, who replaced Basia Makepe as the captain after the long serving defender retired from international football, moved to South in January, where he signed for Orbit College in the South African Motsepe Championship to end speculations on his future having attracted the attention of several South African clubs.
Ntsane Molise: The Linare goalkeeper is among the new faces in the Likuena squad and is heading to his first COSAFA Cup after an impressive campaign with the Hlotse based outfit in the Vodacom Premier League in Lesotho.
Molise is yet to win his first cap for his country and is making a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Lesotho.
Tankiso Chaba: The third and final member of the Lesotho goalkeeping department. The LCS goalkeeper was part of the Likuena squad at the 2022 edition of the tournament in Durban under former coach, Veselin Jelusic.
He has two caps won in back-to-back friendly matches against Ethiopia in 2022 and has been in and out of the team in recent years.
Defenders:
Thabo Makhele: the Chippa United defender recently won his first cap for Likuena in the 2-0 win over Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He has two caps for Lesotho and is be playing at his first COSAFA tournament having last represented the Mountain Kingdom in the Junior ranks. He has hit the ground running playing in each of every Likuena game since making his debut.
Motlomelo Mkhwanazi: A no nonsense defender, who is one of the most experienced campaigners in the Lesotho defence and has featured in several editions of the tournament. Mkhwanazi plays for BDF in the Botswana Premier League having joined them from Bantu FC in Lesotho.
He moved to Botswana after a successful spell with Bantu FC, where he was the captain and led the club to the league title and Cup success.
Thabang Malane: One of Lesotho star players from the impressive 2023 Campaign, where Lesotho went all the way to the final suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to eventually Champions, Zambia.
Malane, who came through the ranks playing for his country in the Junior teams, plays for LCS FC in the Vodacom Premier League. He was named in the Best XI of the last year tournament in Durban.
Rethabile Rasethuntsa: A late bloomer for Lesotho and another of the experienced defenders in the squad, who is also the vice-captain. He netted his first international goal scoring the first of the two goals in the 2-0 win over Zimbabwe during the recent 2026 World Cup.
Rasethunts’a plays for Linare FC in his country and made his Likuena debut in 2020 during the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.
Rethabile Mokokoane: The Matlama defender has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years playing for Lesotho most successful side, where he is the vice-captain to Jane Thabantšo. Mokokoane will be playing in his third COSAFA Cup having featured in the last two editions.
A member of the Lesotho Under-20 team that reached the final of the COSAFA Under-20 Championship in 2017, where they lost in the final to Thabo Senong’s Amajita.
Fusi Matlabe: One of the new faces in the Lesotho squad, who is still uncapped and will be playing in his first COSAFA Tournament. Matlabe, who hails from Leribe plays for Mpheni Defenders in the ABC Motsepe League.
The left footed defender can play as a left-back or in central defensive and has proved a quality addition to the Leslie Notši squad in the friendly matches he played.
Thato Sefoli: Despite his experience playing football in South Africa for years, the Peka defender will be playing in his first COSAFA tournament.
Sefoli plays for Upington City in the ABC Motsepe Championship, where he played a key role when the team win promotion to the Motsepe Championship over a year ago. He previously played for Lioli FC in his home country.
Thabo Matsšoele: The talented defender stature is gradually growing as a regular member of the Likuena squad after impressing outing in recent games. He previously played as a midfielder but is now utilized as a modern left-back at both club and national team.
Matšoele has been playing his football at Bantu FC, who he joined from Matlama and was previously in the books of Liphakoe.
Midfielders:
Tswarelo Bereng: Midfielders: A journey man in South Africa Football having been in the books of several clubs such as Moroka Swallows, Chippa United and Black Leopards just to name a few as well as a spell in Eswatini. Bereng is back in South Africa and now teammates with Moerane at Orbit and one of the vice captains in the national team.
Lisema Lebokallane: The big holding midfielder has been trusted with the responsibility of doing the dirty work in front of the Likuena defence and has become key member of the squad in recent years.
Lebokollane played his football at Linare in the previous campaign having joined them from Matlama.
Lehlohonolo Fothoane: Long serving Bantu midfielder has enjoyed a lot of success in the Kingdom winning several League titles and Cup competitions.
He is a former youth international and was part of the late Moses Maliehe Under-20 squad that represented his country on home soil in 2013 before he graduated into the senior team.
Tšepo Toloane: Another of the senior citizens in the squad having played in several COSAFA Cup tournaments after graduating from the Under-20, where he represented his country in a tournament that was held by Lesotho in 2013.
Toloane has been in the books of LDF FC for years, where he is the captain having joined the club from Liphakoe FC.
Tumelo Khutlang: The attacking midfielder was a force behind Lioli winning the league title this past season, where he scored 17 goals and missed out on the golden boot with just one goal.
Khutlang made a return to Lesotho last season after years in South Africa, where he had played at Black Leopards and Swallows. He came through the ranks representing his country at the junior level before making it big with the national team and eventually winning a contract to play in South Africa.
Neo Mokhachane: The talented winger was unstoppable in last year’s edition of the tournament bagging several Player of the Match awards as well as a place in the COSAFA Best XI of the 2023 tournament.
His impressive displays in Durban won him a move to Botswana, where he has been playing for VTM, who he joined from Bantu after leading the club to the league title in Lesotho.
Tlotliso Phatsisi: Another of the newly capped players that have been playing their football in South Africa from your development ranks. His career came to prominence during his time in the now defunct Free State Stars before he was signed by Sekhukhune, where he was sent out on loan at Black Leopards this past season.
Phatsisi made his Likuena debut in the recent World Cup qualifier against Rwanda.
Lehlohonolo Matsau: The former BCom Accounting student at the National University of Lesotho, where he used to play for Rovers FC, made his COSAFA Cup debut in 2022 in the 2-1 victory over Mauritius.
The midfielder has established himself as a regular at LDF FC, where in some cases has been utilized as a makeshift right-back, a role he also played for Likuena in friendly matches against Ethiopia.
Paseka Maile: The youngest in the squad at 19-year-old. Maile has been playing his football at Kick4Life and was in the Lesotho Under-20 camp when he was given a late call to join the Likuena squad at COSAFA to replace injured Tšepang Sefali.
The youngster came as a substitute in Lesotho opening match against Seychelles, which ended at 1-1.
Forwards:Jane Thabantšo: The most capped and longest serving player in the Likuena squad having made his debut at the tournament in 2015 under the mentorship of the late Seepheephe Matete.
Thabantšo equalled Motebang Sera record as Lesotho all-time top goal-scorer scoring his seventh goal at the COSAFA Cup during the one-all draw against Seychelles. The veteran forward also holds record of the fastest goal in the history of the tournament having netted just 34 second into the game during the 3-0 over Mauritius in the 2016 edition of the competition held in Namibia.
Motebang Sera: The Royal AM striker is among the tournament’s leading marksman and has a chance to maintain his impressive goal scoring record to overtake legendary Peter Ndlovu and Felix Badenhorst, who are a goal and two ahead of him respectively in the tournament’s goal scoring charts.
Sera made his debut at the tournament in 2016, where he scored two goals while he played his football before moving to South Africa.
Katleho Makateng: The 25-year forward was an instant hit in his first COSAFA Cup in 2022 winning two Man of the Match awards, which came at the back of a successful campaign in Lesotho, where he had a clean sweep during the Vodacom Premier League awards having scored 20 goals for LDF FC.
He left for greener pastures in South Africa signing for Richards Bay in their first season playing in the PSL. However, things haven’t been smooth sailing as the striker has struggled for game time in the just ended season, where the Natal Rich Boys kept their topflight status by winning the promotional play-offs.
