Lesotho national team goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane astounded southern African pundits when he single-handedly led Likoena to the finals of the 2023 COSAFA tournament where they lost to Zambia. His incredible reflexes and agility between the poles were the talk of the town and that explains why scouts from the South African Premier Soccer League were soon knocking at the doors of the Mounted Police FC in Maseru, seeking his signature. But the player instead chose to join Motsepe Foundation Championship side Orbit College to pursue his career further, where he immediately claimed the number one jersey. In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite, he reveals how he scored a stupendous goal against Ethiopia in a 2025 AFCON qualifier, how Lesotho went to war with Nigeria's Super Eagles and reveals further that a Kaizer Chiefs player inspired him to become a goalkeeper and much more.
Thomas Kwenaite: Sekhoane, how have you adapted to life and the football in South Africa?
Sekhoane Moerane: The South African way of life and football is generally not tough. I adapted quickly because I have a brother (Tshwarelo Bereng) whom we play in the national team together. He gave me the lowdown about life here, what to expect and how things were run at Orbit FC. He literally prepared me for how things are done here, and this assisted me in adapting very quickly.
TK: How did your move from Lesotho to South Africa come about?
SM: Most of the teams in South Africa saw me at the COSAFA tournament in Durban. We went on to play World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Benin, which were broadcast on SuperSport TV, and I think most clubs watched my performances during those matches. However, I think the game that really convinced many coaches about my abilities was the friendly game against Bafana Bafana prior to their departure to the African Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire. There were many coaches that were attending a CAF A license course at SAFA, and they all converged to the venue to watch the match. I think I had a good game there and that is when many teams started enquiring about my services.
TK: A lot of teams in the PSL and Motsepe Foundation Championship were chasing your signature but, in the end, you chose Orbit College. Why?
SM: I wanted to join a team where I would be comfortable. And then of course, the fact that my compatriot Tshwarelo Bereng was here was another contributing factor. In addition, Orbit play possession-based football; they do not play route-one football. I chose them because I wanted a place where I could be comfortable and feel at home, because it was my first time playing out of Lesotho and so, I chose Orbit because I needed to be close to someone (Bereng) that would make me feel at home.
TK: Do you still remember your first match for Orbit?
SM: It was a nightmare debut. In truth I had a pretty difficult match to forget. I conceded a goal within the first 60 seconds against Venda Football Academy. It was a hell of a bad feeling. But embracing and accepting that these things do happen in football, I motivated myself to keep my head high. I kept telling myself that I could not afford to make another mistake and had to bring my A game to the fore. Mercifully, we ended up winning the game 2-1 but still, while it was good that we won and perhaps I am too hard on myself, I was nonetheless not entirely happy about my first match. Maybe, I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself because I am a perfectionist.
TK: What kind of difference have you noticed about football in South Africa compared to Lesotho?
SM: The difference is huge. In South Africa football is professional whereas in Lesotho it is still semi-professional. Perhaps there are similarities in terms of technique and the style which is laced with flair. Most of the teams in Lesotho can play route one football and can also vary their style to affect the tiki-taka. Let me just say that the level in South Africa is much higher, but we are not very far in Lesotho.
TK: Results have not been that positive for Orbit lately, what has gone wrong?
SM: The results have indeed not been positive and for me personally it has been extremely frustrating. When I came here, Orbit was on top of the log table, they were number one and leading the chasing pack. It was good but since my arrival, things have fallen apart. I'm frustrated right now, and I just cannot wait to see us turning the corner. I came here to help. I cannot put my finger on what went wrong. We just need to concentrate and tell ourselves that we can do it because indeed we can do it, otherwise nothing has changed. It's just a matter of being dedicated knowing what we want.
TK: How did you feel about winning the COSAFA Goalkeeper of the tournament award?
SM: I was extremely happy to win the award. But I was also deeply upset that we lost to Zambia in the final. I felt our time had come and expected Lesotho to finally win the COSAFA tournament for the first time since its inception and take home the gold medal. We had been installed as favourites from the start of the tournament and we felt that we were destined to win, but unfortunately, we came short. We will have to push harder and come back stronger the next time.
TK: But we are sure that holding Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Nigeria must have taken a lot of guts?
SM: We knew that we were going to play against a big team with big name players. We went there as underdogs, but we told ourselves that we could not afford to sit back and watch them dance. We felt that we just had to take the game to them; we had nothing to lose and so we went there for war! We literally brought war to Nigeria. I can say we didn't have a particular strategic plan; we simply went there fully aware that we were underdogs and needed to give as much as we could, and we brought back a crucial point.
TK: Lesotho is in the same 2026 World Cup qualifier group with South Africa as well. How are you guys feeling about the upcoming clashes against Bafana Bafana?
SM: I cannot say there is a different feeling. We will simply play South Africa just like any other country. There is nothing less or more, we are going to give them everything that we have and play our own style of football. We are not going to sit back and watch them or dance to their music. No Sir! They are a good team, make no mistake. They even won a bronze medal at the recent AFCON but that doesn't mean we have to be scared of playing against them. We just have to play to the best of our abilities and let them play their own and may the better team win.
TK: Lesotho is now playing their home matches in South Africa because of the closure of the Setsoto Stadium. How has that affected your national team?
SM: It has affected us badly as we wish to play in front of Basotho, on our home soil. But on the other hand, I personally feel I'm ok with playing away from home. I am good with that because sometimes when playing at home you encounter people that come to watch in order to enjoy and cheer but others are there wishing us to fail. They often ask: 'Why is so-and-so not being selected for the national team'. The minority can put pressure on us and sometimes bring us bad luck!
TK: You scored a great goal against Ethiopia in a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Addis Ababa. Take us through that moment.
SM: I am a person that likes to analyse the opposition goalkeeper during matches. And during open play, I received a back pass from our centre-back. When I scanned the field, I realised that their goalkeeper Seid Habtamu was way off his line, and I let go with a powerful shot towards his goals. I watched as he desperately scrambled back to his poles in a belated attempt to prevent the goal. It was the second for us and we won the match 2-1. I was chaffed that I assisted the country to collect three points.
TK: Who is your favourite player and why?
SM: It is without a doubt Manchester United's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. He is my idol because of the way he does things. He is fearless and doesn't care about concerns that as a goalkeeper should he make a mistake he would be crucified. He plays simple and is not afraid to shoulder responsibilities that he would be blamed if he committed an error. He is in my view a good shot-stopper, has agility and can pass the ball very well. He was phenomenal during his time at both Ajax Amsterdam and Inter Milan. I don't know what happened at Old Trafford but for me he remains the best.
TK: What are your best attributes and strengths as a player?
SM: It's a difficult one to answer but I can say… my communication skills. I know I'm good when I communicate in the field. If the game shifts from one end to another, whether we are attacking or under attack, I'm able to communicate with my defenders. I can say I'm also good with aerial balls; I have power and blessed with good qualities to play long balls. I also know myself that I have not just power but technique and accuracy as well. I guess the rest of my qualities are better explained by my colleagues and technical staff. In any case, I cannot reveal too much about myself lest I expose myself to the opposition.
TK: Who encouraged you to be a goalkeeper?
SM: Itumeleng Khune of Kaizer Chiefs is the one player that made me end up as a goalkeeper. When South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he was one of the best at the Mundial in my view. And since I also started playing football during 2010, it was only natural that after watching Khune he inevitably became a huge influence and inspired me a great deal.
TK: Thank you very much Sekhoane and best wishes.
SM: It as a pleasure, thank you.
