View source for Lesotho Football Association

{{Short description|Governing body of association football in Lesotho}}
{{National football association
|  Logo               = Lesotho Football Association logo.svg
|  Badge_size         = 180px
|  President        = Salemane Phafane<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lefa.co.ls/advocate-phafane-re-elected-lefa-president/ | title=Advocate Phafane re-elected LeFA President - Lesotho Football Association | date=11 September 2021 }}</ref>
|  Founded            = 1932
|  FIFA affiliation   = 1964
|  Region           =  [[Confederation of African Football|CAF]]
|  Region affiliation =  1963<ref>[[Ethiopian Herald]]. 30 November 1963.</ref>
| Subregion        =  [[Council of Southern Africa Football Associations|COSAFA]]
| Subregion affiliation =  1997
}}

The '''Lesotho Football Association''' ('''LeFA''') is the governing body of [[Football in Lesotho|association football in Lesotho]], a landlocked country in [[Southern Africa]].<ref name="FIFA profile">{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/associations/association=LES/about.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910124314/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=LES/about.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 10, 2015 | title=Lesotho Football Association | publisher=[[FIFA]] | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> It was formed in 1932 and it is based in the city of [[Maseru]].<ref name="ea pro">{{cite web | url=http://www.el-area.com/africa/subpaginas/asoc_nac_afr_2.htm#lesotho | title=Asociaciones D – J (Djibouti – Lesotho) | publisher=El-Area | access-date=21 October 2016 | language=es}}</ref> The board helps run the [[Lesotho national football team]] as well as domestic competitions such as the [[Lesotho Premier League]], the [[Lesotho Independence Cup]] and the [[Vodacom Soccer Spectacular]].<ref name="FIFA profile" />

==History==
Despite been formed in 1932, the Lesotho Football Association did not gain membership of [[Fédération Internationale de Football Association]] (FIFA), the world governing body for association football, until 1964.<ref name="ea pro" /><ref name="FIFA profile" /> In 1963, LEFA gained membership of the [[Confederation of African Football]] (CAF).<ref>[[Ethiopian Herald]]. 30 November 1963.</ref> CAF is the controlling body for African association football and membership of it is required to compete in qualifying for [[Africa Cup of Nations]] or the event itself.<ref name="CAF website">{{cite web | url=http://www.cafonline.com | title=Confederation of African Football | publisher=[[Confederation of African Football]]] | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> LEFA is also part of the [[Council of Southern Africa Football Associations]] (COSAFA) which acts as an association of football associations for Southern African countries.<ref name="book">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YjoVCwAAQBAJ&q=COSAFA+formed | title=Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society | publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] | author=Falola, Toyin | pages=657 | isbn=978-1598846669 | author2=Jean-Jacques, Daniel| date=14 December 2015 }}</ref> Lesotho joined COSAFA in 1997 which is the year COSAFA was formed.<ref name="book" /> COSAFA organises the [[COSAFA Cup]], a competition Lesotho has finished runners-up twice.<ref name="COSAFA Cup rsssf">{{cite book | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cosafa.html | title=COSAFA Cup | publisher=[[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]}}</ref> 

LEFA runs the [[Lesotho national football team]], whose first international match was a 2–1 win against [[Malawi national football team|Malawi]] in 1970.<ref name="matches">{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/live-scores/teams/country=les/men/matches/index.html#year1970 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623213632/http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/teams/country=les/men/matches/index.html#year1970 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 23, 2016 | title=Lesotho – Matches | publisher=FIFA | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> The Lesotho national team has never qualified for an Africa Cup of Nations or a World Cup but they have competed in multiple COSAFA Cups with the first being the [[1999 COSAFA Cup|1999 edition]].<ref name="CC99">{{cite web | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cosafa99.html | title=COSAFA Cup 1999 | publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=International Friendly Games - LEFA |url=https://azscore.ng/football/leagues/world/int-friendly-games |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=azscore.ng}}</ref> The national team reached the final of the [[2000 COSAFA Cup]] but lost 6–0 on [[Playoff format#Total points series (aggregate)|aggregate]] to [[Zimbabwe national football team|Zimbabwe]].<ref name="CC00">{{cite web | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cosafa00.html | title=COSAFA Cup 2000 | publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> LEFA also helps in the running of the [[Lesotho women's national football team]].<ref name="FIFA profile" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thuseho |first=Leemisa |date=2022-04-20 |title=Lesotho: Lefa Invests in Women's Football |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202204200717.html |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=allAfrica.com |language=en}}</ref> They played their first international match in 1998 and have since competed in the [[COSAFA Women's Championship]] on two occasions.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/live-scores/teams/country=les/women/matches/index.html#year1998 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021142423/http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/teams/country=les/women/matches/index.html#year1998 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 21, 2016 | title=Lesotho Women – Matches | publisher=FIFA | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cosafa-wom.html | title=COSAFA Women Tournaments | publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> In Lesotho, the [[Lesotho Premier League]] is the top domestic football league.<ref name="FIFA profile" /> The winner of the league qualifies for the [[CAF Champions League]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afrrank03.html | title=CAF 5-Year Ranking | publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | access-date=21 October 2016}}</ref> {{As of|October 2016}} the president of LEFA is Salemane Phafane.<ref name="FIFA profile" /> In February 2022, Lesotho Football Association appointed former Angola and Botswana boss [[Veselin Jelušić|Veselin Jelusic]] as their new coach.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lesotho appoint Serbian Jelusic as coach |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/60479020 |access-date=2022-12-14}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Sports governing bodies in Lesotho}}
{{Football in Lesotho}}
{{International football}}
{{National Members of the Confederation of African Football}}

[[Category:National members of the Confederation of African Football|Lesotho]]
[[Category:Football in Lesotho]]
[[Category:Sports governing bodies in Lesotho]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1932]]
[[Category:Association football governing bodies in Africa]]