The president of FIFA, the World’s football governing body Mr. Joseph Sepp Blatter arrived in Lesotho on Sunday, 7 April,2002.He was in the country to officially inaugurate the Bambatha T’sita Sports Arena, a new facility funded with about one million US Dollars by the FIFA GOAL PROJECT.


On his arrival at the Moshoeshoe I International Airport, Mr. Blatter was welcomed by the Minister of Sports Mr. Sephiri Motanyane, the presidents and executive committees of Lesotho Sports Council and the Lesotho National Olympic Committee and high ranking officials in the Ministry of Sports and Culture. Present at the reception were Basotho men and women in full traditional regalia, ululating and cheering to give Mr. Blatter the kind of reception that truly resembles and captures the spirit of the nation and its people.

From the airport, Mr. Blatter was whisked away in a convoy that included Basotho Horsemen. His entourage included among others, the chairman of the FIFA Goal Project Mr Mohamed Bin Hamman, the Presidents of the Confederation of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) and South African Football Association (SAFA) messers Ishmail Bhamjee and Molefi Oliphant respectively.The Ghanaian soccer legend, Abedi Pele Ayew was also a member of the entourage. The FIFA president and his team paid courtesy calls to the Head Of State King Letsie III at the Royal Palace and to the State House where they met the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Lesao Lehohla.


From the State House, all roads led to the Polo grounds where the ceremony was held. In his speech, Mr. Blatter said the inauguration of the Sports Arena in Lesotho marks the reality of his dream which he conceptualised in 1999. The FIFA boss said he had a vision and aspirations for the House of FIFA “…a House which would accommodate every participant in our sport and be open to every lover of the game of football. I presented you with a “Brick,” symbolising my vision and aspirations.” On the building itself, Mr. Blatter said that considering the architectural layout and facilities provided, their money was well spent.


The facility inaugurated by Blatter will be known as the Bambatha T’sita Sports Arena named after the founding president of the Lesotho Football Association. It features an administration centre for the association,conference room and library, a gymnasium, sauna, lodging facilities as well as a soccer pitch with a capacity of about 7,000 spectators. Fifa’s Goal Project is the brainchild of Sepp Blatter and it seeks to upgrade and develop football in the poor countries. In Africa alone, it has assisted in 35 countries making Lesotho the 38th country to reap its benefits.


When delivering a keynote address, the beaming president of LEFA Mr. Thabo Makakole thanked Mr. Blatter for making Lesotho a worthy destination for his visit and business. Makakole said football in Lesotho is now proud to have a home which will also serve more generations to come. He said Sunday 7 April, 2002 will go into the annals of the history of Lesotho and the COSAFA region “…as a day in which the president of Fifa bought the attention of the whole World to focus on the tiny Kingdom in the sky, and as the day he (the Fifa President) officially inaugurated and handed over the FIFA GOAL PROJECT to the Football Association and the people of Lesotho.”


After the ceremony Mr. Blatter and his team attended a COSAFA Castle Cup match that pitted “Likuena” (Crocodiles) as the Lesotho Senior Football team is affectionately known against Mozambique. It was a game that almost spoilt a pleasant day in history because Likuena succumbed to a 0 – 2 defeat at the hands of the “Mambas” of Mozambique. The game was however, a double-blow to Likuena because despite being embarrassed at home and in full view of the Fifa’s big shots, they were also shown an early exit in the lucrative competition. Mr. Blatter left the same evening on a private jet to South Africa to fulfil the demands of his tight schedule.