The relocation of Lioli’s “home” fixture against Orlando Pirates from Lesotho to the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein underscores the deepening crisis of football infrastructure in the mountain kingdom. While football remains a unifying and popular sport in Lesotho, the absence of an internationally compliant stadium has turned home advantage into a paradox—forcing clubs and national teams alike to host matches on foreign soil. At the heart of this problem is the Setsoto Stadium in Maseru, the only facility previously recognized for international use. Since its suspension in 2021 by FIFA and CAF, due to its failure to meet international standards, Lesotho has been stripped of the ability to host matches at home. This not only damages the country’s sporting reputation but also undermines the growth of local football. For Lioli and other clubs, being forced to host continental matches outside the country strips them of the psychological and logistical benefits that come with playing i...
For the lives of the athletes and sports lovers