RENOWNED soccer coach Monaheng Monyane has died.
Monyane died at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, his son Kali said on Friday.
Monyane is best known for being the first coach to take to take the senior national side to the finals of the COSAFA final in 2000.
However, due to some administrative challenges that rocked the team on the eve of the first leg of the final at home against Zimbabwe, Likuena were trounced 3-0 before losing by a similar margin in the return leg.
Doc as Monyane was famously known, was the one who also guided the National University of Lesotho’s Rovers to their debut CAF Champions League campaign where they clobbered Limbe Leaf Wanderers of Malawi 5-1 in 1997 to advance to the first round. They were however knocked out by Orlando Pirates of South Africa after a 1-0 loss.
Kali told the Sunday Express that his father will be laid to rest on 27 July 2019. He said on the day he died, his father fell ill and he rushed him to hospital.
“I rushed him to hospital but he died shortly afterwards,” Kali said.
“The family has decided to lay him to rest next weekend and the service will be at Pitso Ground.”
He said although the family conceded that his father has now rested, it was still going through a difficult time.
“Losing a father is not a good feeling regardless of how old he was but he has rested and as a family we just have to be strong and move on,” Kali said.
Meanwhile, the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) said Monyane’s death was a blow to the footballing fraternity.
“The Lesotho Football Association president, Advocate Salemane Phafane (KC), on behalf of the football fraternity, wishes to express his deepest condolences to the family of Ntate Monaheng ‘Doc’ Monyane, who passed away on Wednesday morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family in this difficult time. We wish the family of the legendary coach strength and good health as they come to terms with bereavement. Ntate Monyane served the beautiful game with distinction in the Mountain Kingdom and his legacy lives on as the only coach to have led Likuena to the final of the COSAFA Cup in 2000,” Adv Phafane said.