Maseru, Aug. 18 — Former Lesotho national team captain, Bokang ‘Lefty’ Mothoana has announced his retirement from the game after a 20-year career, which includes captaining his country at the highest level of international football.
Lefty, as he was popularly known by his admirers, told the Agency on Friday that he has resolved to hang up his boots in order to focus on ploughing back to the youth in his Sea Point community.
He said football has opened up so many doors for him to travel to many countries in Africa, Europe and in the Middle East during his stint in Tunisia.
“Football taught me discipline and sharing since we worked as a team for a common goal of winning our games,” he highlighted.
Furthermore, he noted to delight that the highlights of his 20 year glittering career was playing for the senior national side Likuena and for representing his country at the CAF U-20 African Cup of Nations in Benin in 2005 as well as having been selected among the foreign nations and even captained that team while in Tunisia to play against Arab select team.
Mothoana said all his achievements could not have been realised had it not been due to a massive support from Basotho who rallied behind him during his playing career.
Speaking about ‘Lefty’, Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) Media Officer, Mr. Mikia Kalati said as the Sea point born utility player is popularly known, was also a member of the first Lesotho National U-20 team to qualify for the CAF U-20 African Cup of Nations in 2005 in Benin, which in those days was known as the African Youth Championship.
He said Mothoana was appointed the Likuena vice-captain by the late Mr. Seepheephe ‘Mochine’ Matete in 2015 and was eventually named the captain by Mr. Moses Maliehe in 2017.
LeFA Technical Director Mr. Lehlohonolo Thotanyana, who worked alongside the late ‘Mochine’ Matete as Makoanyane XI qualifier for the youth continental tournament in 2005, described Mothoana as a model professional, who respected the game and was part of a special breed of players to grace the game in the Kingdom.
Lefty’s glittering soccer career started in school during a tournament sponsored by a bread baking company, Blue Ribbon.
He went on to be spotted by the late Mr. Bishop Molatoli who formed a soccer team known as FC Likhopo and Lefty was one of the first players to play for that team and won the League Championship in their debut season in the elite league.
Mothoana went on to play for a team in Tunisia before returning back home to play for FC. Likhopo, Kick4Life and Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) FC.
