The Econet Premier League season has been disrupted by coronavirus pandemic, but Lesotho national team head coach Thabo Senong is keenly monitoring the physical fitness of his players remotely.
Senong has constantly kept in touch with his local-based players as they individually conduct physical fitness in the confinement of their houses and in respective playing fields near their homes as they await the resumption of the league.
But the South African gaffer is not a satisfied man as he has expressed his concern about his players’ true fitness as most of Likuena opponents in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations’ Group L qualifiers are in different European leagues.
“The inactivity of the players is a major worry. The players themselves are also worried that they are not playing, they are not training and that means that they are not growing as players. I am worried about their sharpness when they return,” Senong told Lesotho Times.
“It is also unfortunate that we don’t have players playing in Europe as opposed to our opponents who have players all over Europe but we have to look at our own situation and respect the laws of the country.”
With four matches left in the qualifiers, Lesotho is third in the group following a one-all draw with Sierra Leone and a 2-4 loss to Nigeria.
The Likuenas were to face two back to back matches against Benin before playing both Nigeria and Sierra Leone, but CAF made a decision to postpone the qualifiers due to uncertainties in different countries because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Senong was expected to make his selection from Econet Premier League players, but the league has been under suspension due to the pandemic.
Now the 38-year-old says he needs full support from Lesotho Football Association (LeFA), league teams and the government to prepare for the remaining Nation’s Cup qualifiers matches.
“It is a serious concern and it will require us to prepare even outside the FIFA calendar. We should hold longer camps, so we will need league teams’ corporation and the assistance of both LeFA and the government,” Senong noted.
“The last time the team trained together was in February and it is unclear how long we must wait before playing again as a unit. I have watched a few matches in the leagues that have resumed and it’s evident that some players have lost touch. We also have similar concerns especially for our attackers who must work on their confidence complemented by fitness and the right tactics.”
Lesotho is third in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations’ Group L qualifiers following a one-all draw with Sierra Leone and a 2-4 loss to Nigeria.
