Sefoli’s grievances haunt Lioli

SEKETE LESAOANA

MASERU – Lioli Football club has been slapped with a three-year ban by the world football mother body Federation Internationale de Football Association (FiFA). During the period of the ban the club will not be allowed to sign new players. The news comes after Tse Nala received a letter ordering the club not to sign new players for three consecutive seasons ending in February of 2024. The FiFA ban comes after Lioli failed to abide by the judgment made by the global football governing body which ordered the team to pay Thato Sefoli his outstanding salary.

The former Lioli defender, Sefoli, who was also the captain at the time, reported the club for misconduct in 2021, when he demanded to be paid M30 000 for the remaining six months of his contract with the club and M40 000 for incentives. The issue commenced when Sefoli did not report for work consistently and the management of the team then decided to struck off his salary which he then reported to FiFA. Explaining the saga to Public Eye, Lioli Media Officer Ramokoatsi Kananelo said the matter has been rectified between Lioli and FiFA and they are back to normal.

Ramokoatsi says the club was short of less than M3 000 to finish the M70 000 owed to Sefoli, adding there was a technical glitch in communication between the two the parties. “I really want the supporters of Lioli to calm down over this matter, as the problem was that FiFA has been communicating with the club through the personal email address of our former manager. Now, since then he has not been making us aware of the incoming communication from them. But we have put everything to rest and Sefoli was given five days to check if his grievances have been settled in full by the club,” he explained.

He said the team was working very hard to put the matter to rest and in the field of play the supporters have also seen how the team was performing well under the leadership of Lebohang Thotanyane and the whole executive committee.

Lioli is number three on the premier league standings with 47 points and has played 25 matches, while Matlama are number one with 62 points and have played 24 matches. LCS follows in second position with 24 matches and 47 points.