Both Lesotho and Mauritius, two countries who condemned to the wilderness of international competition for the next two years, have both announced they are seeking to hire a foreign coach.
Lesotho, surprisingly beaten 4-1 on aggregate by Botswana in the preliminary rounds of the 2006 World Cup qualifiers last November, have been talking to Kim Splidsboel.
The Danish coach formerly worked in Malawi and took the Flames to the final of the 2002 Cosafa Castle Cup where they lost to South Africa.
Mauritius have also announced their intention to find a foreign technician, according to the country’s football association president Vinod Persunnoo.
Mauritius lost in extra time to Uganda in the 2006 World Cup preliminary round qualifiers.
Lesotho have also approached the German embassy in Maseru to help them in their search for a coach. German government co-operation over the last 30 years has seen countless German coaches working across Africa.
The Basotho government has delegated Makalo Theko, the principal secretary of the ministry of sport, to help with the Lesotho Football Association in its search.
Lesotho have never before been coached by a foreigner.
Mauritius, who fired the Frenchman Patrick Parizon in 2002, beat South Africa 2-0 in January with a tandem of locals of charge – Elvis Antoine and Rajesh Gunesh.