Lesotho’s football giants Matlama FC will play the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League preliminary fixture against Cameroon’s Coton Sport FC in Bloemfontein at the Free State Stadium. This encounter will take place on Saturday (10/09) with the return leg occurring on 15 September in Cameroon.
The two clubs qualify for the prestigious CAF Champions League by virtue of being the 2021 season league champions in their respective countries.
Matlama is the winner of the Lesotho Premier League, whereas Coton championed Cameroon’s top division Elite One tournament.
The two teams will square off for the first time in the coveted continental club championship.
Lesotho’s outfit, Matlama, plays host to the match in South Africa instead of their native country. It has been revealed that this is because of unsuitable state of the Setsoto Stadium in Maseru. The team is therefore compelled to play the match in Bloemfontein, depriving them the opportunity of playing in front of their staunch supporters.
Coton will play the return fixture at home, on Cameroonian soil.
“The fixture is played in South Africa because the Setsoto Stadium is not compliant with the requirements of the CAF. Construction to upgrade the stadium has not even started yet. The Lesotho Football Association (Lefa) is paying the travelling expenses of Matlama, as it has done for all teams that play in the Champions League,” explained Mokhosi Mohapi, secretary general of Lefa.
Founded in 1932, and based in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, Matlama is the most successful football club in the country. The outfit has won the domestic elite league a record of 11 times. The club’s highlight in the CAF Champions League was in 1979 when they reached the quarter-finals. The team is yet to repeat this feat.
Coton Sport FC, founded in 1986, reached the finals of the CAF Cup in 2003 and the CAF Champions League in 2008, and the semifinals of the same competition in 2013. Tickets cost R70 and can be purchased at all Ticketpro outlets.
