LeFA flexes its muscles
Kicks coaches’ association secretary off training clinic
NTHAKO MAJORO
MASERU – One of the country’s most qualified coaches, who is also the national coaches’ association secretary, was this week scrapped from the list of participants in an ongoing Coaching Instructor Workshop.
Teele Ntšonyana was ordered off the training by the Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) on Monday this week following accusations of misconduct – in that he meddled in the affairs of the Leribe District Football Association (DIFA).
The coach, however, deems his disqualification from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Instructors’ Course as simply total discrimination, abuse of power and unsullied hatred towards him by the football association.
These developments have stirred up a hornet’s nest in the football fraternity; multitudes of football supporters, current and former football players, coaches and some of top sports administrators in the country have voiced derided LeFA move across social media sports groups.
DIFA-Leribe, led by LeFA First Vice President, Khiba Mohoanyane, on March 26 wrote to Lesotho Football Coaches Association levelling accusations of interference in their affairs against Ntšonyana.
The letter reads in part: “You will recall that few years ago, the Lesotho Football Association undergone some disrepute due to the meddling of Teele Ntšonyana and co in the affairs of the Mokhotlong DIFA. This led to a court case which LEFA got a ruling in its favour.
This time around Teele is at it again. It should be known that a DIFA is an Association of the clubs of a respective district, and the issue of who gets to lead a DIFA is a matter for the affiliated teams alone not anyone else who is not an affiliate, any other person or persons coercing such elections are interfering with the will of that particular DIFA members.”
In conclusion, DIFA-Leribe says it wants to believe that “what Ntšonyana is doing is an act of misconduct as it can be deemed at working against the principle of fostering good relations within the football fraternity as he is not a member of the DIFA and coercing his own agenda which is not for the benefit of the Leribe DIFA and as such can’t we charge and or suspend him for putting the DIFA into disrepute and dividing the people of Leribe where he is not a member.”
LeFA has also issued a statement removing Ntšonyana from the list of participants in the ongoing training over the same issue.
LeFA’ said in the matter: “The Lesotho Football Association has removed the name of Mr Teele Ntšonyana from its list of participants in the Coaching Instructor Workshop that started at Bambatha Tšita Sports Arena this Monday.
This move follows a series of allegations received from District Football Associations which are LeFA’s affiliates. These allegations involve acts of misconduct which have to be investigated and which if proved would amount to bringing the Association into disrepute.”
The letters of complaint against Ntšonyana, the statement further reads, have also been sent to the president of coaches association for appropriate investigation and action.
“In these circumstances, LeFA has come to a considered opinion that it would not be in the best interest of football and good administration to allow Mr Ntšonyana to continue being trained by LeFA at its cost until such time that his name shall have been cleared. He will be served with relevant letters inviting him to make representations in the coming few days.”
Ntšonyana confirmed his disqualification in an interview on the same day, Monday. He, however, said he wasn’t neither served with any letter nor verbally told the reasons for his disqualification.
“I asked for the reasons that led to my disqualification and I was only told that it was the decision of LeFA’s national executive committee,” said Ntšonyana.
“I tried to make them see sense that the decision equated to a total sabotage and abuse of power if someone could be denied an opportunity to attend the course; and that they should at least serve me with a letter explaining reasons for his disqualification…but I was told that the secretary (Mokhosi Mohapi) is not present to give me a letter outlining the reasons.”
Ntšonyana said he ended up meeting with Mohoanyane and asked him to order LeFA Deputy Secretary General, Chris Bullock, to write the letter in Mohapi’s absence “but that did not happen despite Bullock being his deputy.”
“This means even now I don’t know why I have been disqualified from taking part at the course. Mohoanyane just said they could not give me the letter in the absence of the Secretary General because this would be a high profile letter.”
Ntšonyana further revealed that he participated in the course from commencement and “to be disqualified towards the end made me sad.”
“I was always part of the course from the beginning and what was left was for us as participants to sit for an examination as this is the assessment week. I am talking now as a CAF instructor, and I was going to be FIFA instructor at the end of this course.”
Ntšonyana further said: “Above all, this shows hatred, discrimination and abuse of power by those who at the helm of football administration in the country…and this is not how our football should be.”
FIFA objectives, Ntšonyana said, were against all such things. But he said now they were done by football top officials in this country, who he said they had the constitution of FIFA.
Ntšonyana, however, said he thought the reasons behind his disqualification might be because of the fact that he was not in good terms with some of LeFA’s bosses as a result of disagreements on football matters in general.