Lesotho's Under-15 men's team coach, Mahlomola Matšoara, has described the team's participation in the recent FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a valuable learning experience. The tournament, which took place from October 24 to 30, saw Lesotho finish 116th out of 189 participating countries. The team ranked 27th among 54 African countries and seventh among 14 COSAFA member nations.
Lesotho's national squad, largely composed of players from the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) Academy in Leribe, recorded three wins and five defeats in eight matches. This marked the first time Lesotho had fielded a team at a FIFA World Cup event across all age categories. The tournament was played in an eight-a-side format, consisting of two 20-minute halves.
Matšoara identified speed, physical strength, and bravery as key areas where local players need improvement. He noted that the technical team learned from the tournament the importance of these aspects, which were displayed by players from other countries. Despite acknowledging that Lesotho still lags behind in several areas, Matšoara expressed confidence that the introduction of the LeFA Academy would help develop more competitive players.
The coach credited FIFA's Talent Development Scheme (TDS), rolled out in Lesotho in 2023, for providing a platform to identify and nurture talented young players born between 2011 and 2012. FIFA also provided the academy with a development coach, Sam Smith, from the United Kingdom. Matšoara hopes that these initiatives will help Lesotho eventually become more competitive.
The tournament's demanding schedule, with teams playing approximately two matches per day at a high tempo, exposed Lesotho's players to experimental rule changes and challenged them to perform under demanding conditions. Matšoara noted that the eight-a-side format offered valuable technical and developmental lessons for young players.
The coach highlighted that the eight-a-side format accelerated tactical decision-making under pressure, technical execution under fatigue, and the speed of structural transitions. He believes that introducing this format in schools could significantly contribute to the development of local football by accelerating players' technical, tactical, and physical growth.
Matšoara called for the introduction of the eight-a-side format in schools, emphasizing its potential to develop local football. With the support of FIFA's TDS and the LeFA Academy, Lesotho aims to improve its football standards and produce more competitive players in the future.
Key points
- Lesotho's Under-15 team finished 116th out of 189 countries in the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.
- The team identified speed, physical strength, and bravery as key areas for improvement.
- FIFA's Talent Development Scheme and the LeFA Academy are expected to help develop more competitive players in Lesotho.
