Lesotho coach Bob Mafoso finds positives despite AFCON qualifying defeats

Lesotho coach Bob Mafoso says his side have a clear approach to follow in their remaining Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, despite starting the campaign with defeats by Niger and Morocco.

The results leave Likuena bottom of a group that also includes highly rated Gabon. However, Mafoso said there were encouraging aspects to Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Morocco at the Free State Stadium.

Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked side, were widely expected to win comfortably because of the difference in quality between the teams. Lesotho held them to a single-goal advantage until the closing stages, when Morocco scored again.

Mafoso said his coaching staff had worked extensively to ensure Lesotho would not be overwhelmed.

“We had to bring in numerical superiority to ensure that we never had 1v1 situations, and they never had too many moments where they could test their quality against ours because numbers would be around the ball.”

The coach explained that Lesotho’s plan was built around absorbing pressure while trying to pose a threat on the counter-attack against a Morocco side that recently reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup.

“We knew that we had to defend well and that there would be long periods of suffering during the game, and then we also attempted to threaten them with our counter attacks,” Mafoso said.

“Look man, the last time we lost against Morocco we conceded seven goals. I’m not saying two goals is better but we were far more competitive.”