Coach Notsi: ‘Why Lesotho lost to Malawi’

Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi has given his diagnosis of why his team surrendered a 16-year unbeaten run to Malawi in South Africa on Tuesday during the FIFA window for international matches.

The Flames came firing in all cylinders at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein to overcome Likuena through Mayele Malango’s 25th minute goal in the warm up match. It was the first time since 2009 that Kalisto Pasuwa’s men beat their Southern African opponents across all competitions.

In a post-match reaction, Notsi attributed the defeat to his players’ approach to the game saying they lacked more hunger.

“It was not the result that we expected. They [Malawi] started very well. They showed that they wanted it more from the first whistle. We came into the game to try to manage it and play but the mistake was made in the middle of the first half where we lost the ball [leading to the goal],” the coach told a post-match conference.

What worked and what did not work for Lesotho?

He said his team could have equalized after the introduction of Jane Thabantso but luck was not on Lesotho’s side.

“We missed the services of Motebang Sera …who played in the first match but he was out due to injury. Towards the end, we showed character in taking the game to our opponents. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side. I am satisfied with the manner our boys came back [into the game] to try and get a goal,” Notsi added.

The two Southern African opponents had played out to a goalless draw in the first friendly at the same stadium on Saturday. Malawi made the most of the FIFA Window for international games to build a strong team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

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