The Game Beyond The Border

South African coach Thabo Senong is now aiming to make Lesotho one of the good footballing nations on the continent.

- Nick Said

THABO SENONG HAS BEEN handed the rarest of platforms, the chance for a South African coach to lead another African nation, after he took over the reins of ambitious Lesotho recently.

While South African players head abroad with some regularity, mostly to Europe and Asia, but also the African continent, it is not at all common for coaches to do likewise.

So it was something of a surprise when Senong was unveiled as the new tactician for the Mountain Kingdom (an enclaved country within the borders of South Africa) at the end of August, and he says the reaction from that country has been somewhat mixed.

“It’s been good... or maybe, you could say average,” Senong admitted to FORBES AFRICA. “For every country, it is normal to be doubtful of a foreign coach, but I must say that most of the people were surprised that I have worked hard to understand and speak the language.”

One of Senong’s mentors, former South Africa coach Shakes Mashaba, was previously in charge of Eswatini, and will have gained some insight from that. He admits though, that he will only be accepted in Lesotho if he tries to assimilate himself into the local culture and does not bring an attitude of superiority.