(MENAFN- The Post)
I have observed that there are a number of people who are steadfast at fighting the LEFA's move to firstly identify and invite to the national teams Basotho footballers in the diaspora, and secondly to create opportunities for local Basotho footballers locally and internationally.
For starters, the same people, known to us by how they articulate themselves, are the ones who lamented and bemoaned LEFA on the grounds that the organisation didn't have any vision nor purpose.
LEFA has a strategic plan that has been endorsed by FIFA and has even gone as far as compiling a Contract of Agreed Objectives (CAO) with FIFA which is now at its deliverable phase.
One of the values and objectives that is enshrined in the same CAO and strategic plan is that LEFA should create opportunities for its members and clubs as well as human capital. It also speaks to the aspect of improving the national teams.
Now today, the same people fail to appreciate it when LEFA ramps up its effort to improve its national teams and also create opportunities for players and technocrats alike by engaging its sister associations by way of international matches and tours, whereby the talents of Basotho footballers will be put out there.
To those I say, brace yourselves for more of these tours. You will criticise LEFA for arranging matches against teams as opposed to national teams at times.
Well, allow us to humbly say this, national teams don't recruit players from other national teams but rather clubs do recruit players. We will play against clubs as part of our pursuit to create opportunities for Basotho footballers because in the ultimate, the experience they will get in foreign leagues will benefit the objective of improving Lesotho's national teams.
This will be done together with our regulatory drive of creating more playing opportunities for our local talent in the form of reducing expatriate participation on match days as well as giving development players in the Under-20 and Under-17 age categories opportunities to play in those leagues under the auspices of LEFA.
We are unapologetic in our stance to deliver a return on our investment in development and the national teams. It is for the better. We can't profess to be masters, neither will we allow unfair criticism, criticism that does not seem to provide alternatives which we so ask for. It is beginning to pay dividends.
Mokhosi Mohapi
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