Lesotho National Team: Likuena Football Squad, Fixtures and African Kick Off Times

The Lesotho national team is the senior men's football side of Lesotho, nicknamed Likuena (the Crocodiles) and governed by the Lesotho Football Association. They played their first international on 7 August 1970, beating Malawi 2 to 1, and they compete in CAF qualifying and the southern African COSAFA Cup.

For South African readers, the Lesotho soccer team is the same side as Likuena. Nigerian and South African readers have a direct connection through Group C of 2026 World Cup qualifying, which included Lesotho, Nigeria and South Africa.

Who Are Likuena, and Where Does the Name Come From?

Likuena is the nickname of the Lesotho national football team, and it means the Crocodiles.

The Lesotho Football Association runs the team, which plays in CAF for Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifying, and in COSAFA for the southern African regional cup.

Keep those competitions separate when exploring the results. A regional cup finish, a qualifying group result and a friendly answer different questions about a national side. The COSAFA record gives southern African readers a regional comparison, while CAF qualifying connects Likuena with opponents across the continent. Start with the competition label before comparing scores or judging what a particular match achieved.

Lesotho Fixtures and Results: What Time Is Kick Off Where You Live?

The fixtures module above lists every upcoming Likuena match with the kick off shown in WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT, so nobody in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra or Kampala has to do the sums. Lesotho share a time zone with South Africa, which means a home match at 15:00 SAST starts at 14:00 WAT in Lagos, 16:00 EAT in Nairobi and Kampala, and 13:00 GMT in Accra. The fixtures module identifies the competition for each qualifier and friendly.

Results sit underneath, each with the score, the date and the competition, and the qualifying group table beside them shows what every result means for qualification. Read the two together, because a draw away from home can be worth more than it looks if the sides around Lesotho drop points.

For a useful comparison, choose results from the same campaign and check how many matches each team has played. A points gap alone does not explain the remaining opportunity when teams have completed different numbers of fixtures. Also distinguish a single match score from an aggregate score across two legs: the latter describes the whole tie, rather than one afternoon's performance.

Who Is in the Lesotho Squad?

The squad module lists the latest Likuena call up with each player's position and club, and it updates every time a new group is named. The squad module shows each player's club and position.

Reading the list is simple once you know what to look for. Use the listed positions to identify the goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards, and the club information to follow the players beyond international football.

A squad list shows the available selection, while a starting line up shows the choices for a particular match. Read them separately when following a player from club football into the national side. A midfielder's position label, for example, does not by itself tell you whether he will protect the defence, carry the ball forward or support the forwards.

For readers following African club football, the club column offers a route into individual stories. Look for players you recognise from domestic competitions, then use the match line up to see how they fit together for Lesotho. Shared club membership can be a useful detail to explore, but it should not be treated as proof of a particular international partnership.

Who Coaches Likuena, and How Do They Play?

The current head coach is named in the squad module, because the role changes and a name written here could be out of date by the next international window. The squad module identifies the head coach, while match information can help readers assess team selections.

To assess an approach, watch what happens in three situations: building from the goalkeeper, defending without the ball and attacking after possession changes. Notice whether the full backs advance together, whether a midfielder stays near the centre backs and how much support reaches the striker. These observations give more substance than a formation number alone.

When comparing Likuena against regional opponents or sides such as Nigeria, allow for the demands of the particular match. A deeper defensive position can create space to attack after winning possession. If the forwards need more support, look for closer midfield runners and shorter distances between teammates as possible routes to creating chances.

Where Does Lesotho Rank, and Have They Ever Qualified?

The FIFA ranking module shows Lesotho's live position, and the two numbers worth remembering beside it are the extremes. Their highest ranking is 105th, reached in August 2014, and their lowest is 185th, in August 2011, an 80 place difference between those recorded extremes.

The qualification records module tracks Lesotho's World Cup participation, while individual campaigns offer fixed points of comparison. In 1974 World Cup qualifying they held Zambia 0 to 0 at home before Zambia won the second leg 6 to 1, and in 1982 they went out 4 to 2 on aggregate to Guinea in the first round. In 1994 AFCON qualifying they beat Botswana 4 to 0 on aggregate, their first qualifying tie win.

How Did Likuena Do in 2026 World Cup Qualifying, and What Have They Won?

Lesotho shared Group C of CAF qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The group table (the log, as South African readers call it) sits with every score in the results module.

Likuena's honours come from the COSAFA Cup, and the best run remains 2000, when they reached the final. The defining match of that run, for me, was the semi final, a 2 to 1 win over Angola that put Lesotho one tie from a regional title, before Zimbabwe won the final 3 to 0 on aggregate. Lesotho finished third in 2018 and were runners up to South Africa in 2023, a second final that showed the 2000 run was not a single bright year. So, when people ask what Lesotho have won, the fair answer is two COSAFA finals and a third place, each earned against neighbours who know the side well.

Who Holds the Lesotho Records?

The records module carries the caps and goals leaders, and it updates whenever a player adds an appearance or a goal, so those names stay current without any rewriting. The team records with fixed dates are a different matter. The biggest win is 5 to 0 over Swaziland (now Eswatini) in Maseru on 14 April 2006, and the biggest defeat is 9 to 0 to Zambia, played in Botswana on 8 August 1988. Both results came inside the region, which says a lot about how much of Lesotho's football story has been written against their nearest neighbours, and the timeline below puts the key moments in order.

Where Do Likuena Play Home Games?

Setsoto Stadium in Maseru is Lesotho's home ground. In 2025, Lesotho played their home World Cup qualifier against South Africa at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The fixtures module lists the venue for every match, so check it before you plan any travel, because a Likuena home game is not always played in Lesotho. Ticket details are a matter for the Lesotho Football Association before each home match, and its announcements are the place to look.

For Nigerian readers, the connection is direct: Nigeria and Lesotho shared Group C in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The venue listed for each fixture identifies where the teams played.

Why Do Likuena Matter in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda?

Nigerian readers mostly arrive through Group C of 2026 World Cup qualifying, where the Super Eagles and Likuena shared a campaign that Nigerians remember for the points that slipped away. The question I always ask is what those matches meant for the Nigerian players in them, and the answer is that every point mattered in a group of six, which is why a Lesotho fixture should never be read as a formality. South African interest runs deeper still, since Lesotho sits entirely inside South Africa, and Bafana Bafana won the 2023 COSAFA Cup final against Likuena.

Kenyan readers have a recent direct link, because Harambee Stars and Likuena drew 1 to 1 in a friendly on 4 June 2026, and the head to head record in the results module carries every meeting since. Ghanaian interest tends to come through AFCON qualifying, where the Black Stars and Likuena chase the same finals, including qualifiers Lesotho have played at neutral venues in Ghana. For Uganda Cranes supporters, the link is wider African football, as both nations want the same thing: a regular place among the continent's qualifiers. Wherever you read from, the kick off sits in your own time zone in the fixtures module.

Where Can You Find Other African National Teams?

If you want to set Likuena beside the rest of the continent, our national teams hub lists every side we cover, with the same four time zones on each.