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“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are.” – Muhammad Ali

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

From The Archives - The behaviour of Lesotho's footballers

“I’m Ronaldinho!” “I’m Teko Modise!”
Walk past a game of football on a street corner or on a sidewalk and you’ll hear those cries. They are the enthusiastic yells of a young boy, a young footballer dreaming of one day following in the footsteps of their favourite player.
It’s a wonder of the world.
Every kid has their favourite player, an icon they follow, an idol they sometimes even worship. It’s a circumstance that means the modern footballer has responsibilities almost beyond the realms of reality. Because children oftentimes want to copy the actions of their hero, footballers through their actions have the capacity to shape or dismantle a child’s character. It’s a phenomenon that means, more than ever, footballers need to watch what they do.
However, and sadly, footballers the world over don’t seem to realise this.
In England, Liverpool captain and England international Steven Gerrard is due to appear in court over charges of assault while Manchester City’s Brazilian star Robinho has recently been accused of rape.
Right next door in South Africa serial lawbreaker Mbulelo Mabizela, who was sold by Mamelodi Sundowns last month for going AWOL, faces a charge of drink-driving, while trouble-child Jabu ‘Pule’ Mahlangu has been infamous for his penchant for women and booze throughout his career.
Unfortunately the situation is not much different in Lesotho.
Last year during a premier league match between Rovers and LCS, Rovers’ Puseletso Makafane – now with Butha-Buthe Roses – physically assaulted a referee after being sent off. Such was the brutality of the attack the game had to be called off.
Just last month LDF’s Janefeke Molibeli was banned for two months after being found guilty of using verbally abusive language towards a referee during a match between LDF and LMPS.
It is with such incidents in mind that Seephephe Matete, the technical director of the Lesotho Football Association (Lefa), says footballers in Lesotho are not the role models they should be. “Our players have no respect for the game and no respect for their talent. As a result they fail to set a positive example and that is to the detriment of our football,” he says.
It’s hard to disagree.
Matete, a reputable footballer in his own right and a former national Under-20 coach, is well placed to pass judgement. 
“Over the years there has been a gradual decline in the standards of behaviour amongst our footballers,” he continues.
In a nutshell players in Lesotho like their counterparts worldwide are oblivious to their responsibility to the public. Therefore they don’t fulfil the good they could do for society. In Lesotho’s case the reason for the players’ insolence might be their belief that they are uncared-for-unknowns. But while it is true they may not occupy front pages or television screens they still have relevance to their immediate society. And that’s what Lesotho’s footballers don’t recognize.
Because football has always been a focal point of culture in Lesotho, players as its main protagonists have by tradition been the pride of their community meaning a footballer is in a position, however small, to influence his society.
Yet coming out of the festive period, it was not a rare occurrence to see a footballer drunk on the side of the street barking profanities. That lack of conduct has become a pandemic not just confined to ‘festive seasons’ but an everyday episode that has even filtered into the country’s national teams.
Just two months ago at the Cosafa Under-20 Championships in Kimberley two Lesotho players were found to have stolen tracksuits from their South African counterparts. Earlier last year two Likuena players were dropped due to drunkenness before a 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away in Libya in June.
As well as being hugely embarrassing such incidents doubtless leave the wrong impression on any young fan. And that is in a society where irresponsible behaviour amongst the youth is at all time highs.
It’s something of grave concern to Letšoara Tšehlo, youth coordinator at Blue Cross, a non-governmental organisation which deals with youth problems such as drug abuse. “When a child watches a player the first thing they see is their talent. But as they come to idolise them they then observe their character,” he says.
“That’s when the child will see a player walking down Kingsway rowdy and holding girls. It’s a bad example but unfortunately that’s what a child will copy because that’s his role model,” Tšehlo says. “It’s also the case that when a footballer drinks or uses drugs a youngster will feel its right and do the same,” he laments.
And that’s the problem. Instead of being role models players exacerbate issues in society such as a chronic lack of respect. It’s these problems that come to a head at football matches where appalling behaviour is commonplace. It’s a vicious cycle.
“I always say a game is ninety minutes, can you not respect the game for that long? Players don’t respect themselves, some come to games drunk. So there is no way a fan will respect the game,” Matete says.
But things were not always like this. There were days, of Senator Tšeliso Khomari and his peers, when footballers were seen as genuine role models, real heroes and in Lesotho footballer’s almost had a noble status.
According Matete the blame also has to lie with the coaches that nurture today’s players.
“In my days discipline was instilled from a very young age but these days these boys not taught any,” he laments. “No child is born with bad manners. They follow the example of their guardian. Sadly coaches themselves are also not setting a good example to their players with their actions.”
However Makalo Mehlala, a recently retired LCS player and former Lesotho international, says Lefa is also to blame. “Lefa doesn’t give players motivation. They as a federation need to step up. Players don’t feel wanted, they don’t feel they are part of any plans and that’s because Lefa they don’t show that they are serious about players,” he says.
“I’m not condoning some of the behaviour that we see at all but sometimes you have to ask yourself what Lefa does in order to keep players in check and happy.”
So what is Lefa doing to curb this scourge?
“We had a Life skills program two years ago that was in association with Unicef. It was a TOT (Training of Trainers) program whereby Unicef trained a number of our coaches so that they could teach our players manners,” Matete says.
But surely that is not enough. “I admit Lefa can do more on their side. We haven’t really focused enough on the issue of player behaviour and it has become a serious problem,” Matete says.
“Currently there is no mechanism where-by we as a federation can liaise with clubs on a regular basis when it comes to player discipline. That is one thing that we should look at. But it also a question of funds. For example we are dependent on Unicef for that life skills program. It is hard for Lefa to go out and have programs all over the country,” he adds. Point taken. Indeed at the end of the day any change in the standards of behaviour will ultimately come down to the players themselves.
“There is no football without players and the change has to come from the players. They need to try and recognize how important they are. Maybe it would help if the players formed a players’ union,” Matete says. Maybe it would, and it is one thing that does not need an amendment to the national budget. All it needs is a common passion for the future well being of Lesotho’s football.
Footballers are simple creatures. Their attitude and behaviour is associated to the pride they have in their clubs and more importantly their nation. If Lefa and players can work together maybe, just maybe the people of Lesotho won’t have to wake to news Likuena players were drunk while the nation was losing 4-0.
Above all though, players need to recognize that they are role models – even in Lesotho.
That voluntary ball boy and his friends sitting with him at the training session are studying their heroes. Our footballers have to realise that with great talent comes great responsibility, and that in Lesotho kids do say, “I’m Lire Phiri!” “I’m Bushy Moletsane!”
February 2009

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