Final days in Lesotho....

It is the last day before we leave Lesotho tomorrow and a perfect time I guess to come up to date and perhaps reflect on the trip. Thankfully I have finally managed to almost shake off my cold/flu and am getting back to normal. The irony of getting my worst illness in years during the trip has not been lost on my but when I think about it, the only thing it has severely impacted has been my ability to play football and the football was always secondary.

I think the easiest way to retrace the tour would be to walk through it.

Sunday - Arrived in the early hours at Maseru and checked into the Lesotho FA (LEFA) headquarters in the outskirts, which would be our base for the two weeks.

Monday - Woke up to see Lesotho for the first time, a county of mountains and greenery, but also hot and dusty. In the morning we went up to Maseru city centre (basically one street called Kingsway) and tried to take in the mixture of opulent and dishevelled, the constantly honking taxis and busy bustle of a city centre. In the afternoon we went to the SOS Orphanage on the outskirts of Maseru. This took us through the 'suburbs' of the city which are small concrete shacks with galvanised roofs, sometimes well kept, often decrepid. The orphanage itself is one of the better around, neat little red bricked houses which each house 6 children, looked after by one 'aunt' who lives with them. The children were fascinated by us and by our footballs and proceeded to show us for the first time the amazing ball control skills these people have on pitches that would not be used for car parks back in the UK. We played our first match there and happily won 3-2. I scored my only goal of the tour, a free kick curled into the top corner which will keep me happy for years to come. After the match we then donated some kit to them.

Tuesday - Visited a school in Maboto called Rastamelah. Here we were given the full Beatles treatment with hundreds of children swarming around us all day, telling us how beautiful we were and laughing with and often at us as we played with them. We gave our AIDS education and spent most of the day there. The children were dressed in everything from impeccable school uniforms to badly worn castaways, but were universally friendly and full of joy. That evening we had our second football match agains the Baylor Clinic team (who work with HIV sufferers) and won 3-0. Again we donated some kit to them.

Wednesday - Went back to the same school and just played with the children, everything from football games to the Hokey Kokey. Their enthusiasm for us was undimmed as was ours for them. In the evening we had our third game against the Maboto police who play in the Lesotho 2nd Division. The pitch was just an uneven dustbowl and they played with pace and control. Luckily we managed to hold them and go 1-0 up. Despite spending most of the second half with 30 yards of our own goals, we managed to hold onto the win. Not for the last time on the trip, we were all asked for our boots after the match. They had to make do with our shirts. Across the team the rigours of the past few days were starting to tell and it was here that I first began to feel less than well. Over the next few days that would graduate to flu.

Thursday - Went to two schools in Mafateng. The first, called Johnson Baker, was in reasonable conditions and the kids were older teenagers who were much cooler and laid back than the younger ones we had met in Maboto. They played the games with just as much fun though. Afterwards we were treated to their amazing choir who just blew us away with their fabulous voices, moves and utter joy when they sang. I couldn't help thinking it was a sight I would never see in a school back home. The second school, Bereng, was poorer than the first, but the kids were just as fun. Half way through our session though the Army parachuted in which proved a hard competition for their attention!

Friday - We were due to return to Mafateng to play the local club there called Club 22. However, the teachers from Johnson Baker also wanted to play us so we ended up having two matches. The pitch made the one in Mabote suddenly look like Wembley being just a huge dustbowl with high winds often obscuring everything. I was too ill to take much part in these matches and so only played in spells and felt terrible. We drew the first match, but the second against the 2nd Division Club 22 was as hard a game as any of us has ever played. In the end we lost 1-0 but couldn't complain. They had earned the shirts we gave them off our backs after the match! That night the entire team was shattered.

Saturday - In the morning we visited the school for the Blind and orphanage which I mentioned in my previous blog. They were very emotional for us all and I think we will carry them most in our hearts when we leave. In the afternoon we played the Ex-Likuena who are the Ex-Lesotho National team! Alas I was still ill and could only play a half, but we all relished the experience of playing against ex-nationals. We lost 1-0 but had a few chances to steal it at the end. They were worthy of their ex-national status though with their ball control and passing. The only player on our team comparable is Wave, an ex-Lesotho national himself, who has been our chaperone while we are over here. Saturday evening and night I spent in bed with one of the worst fevers I have ever had.

Sunday - Rest, rest rest.

Monday - We had been invited to play agains the team of Prince Seisso at Matsieng. They are in the first division and so we knew it would be a challenge. The setting was a beautiful mountain village and before the match we had a brief tour of the royal grounds. I had resolved not to play any football due to ill health, but in the end I did come on in painful spells. We started brightly and went 1-0 up but in the end class told for them and fatigue for us and we lost 5-1. Donated our sweat-stained kit.

Tuesday - Travelled to Malealea up in the mountains and visited the school in Malealea village. This was a primary school with just 7o kids, so we just played games with them and they were again amazing, singing and dancing and enjoying any fun going. Afterwards we played Lilana FC, the local team who are in the 2nd division on what is the worst pitch I have ever seen. There was no grass, what was there was quarryed our of stone and most of the stone was left! It ended 1-1 and we went to penalties which we won 10-9! A fitting end to the tour. We gave the kit to the school and the teachers sang in joy about it for ages!

Wednesday - A day off in Malealea and we went pony trekking in this amazing mountain landscape. The trek was through some pretty hazardous cliff paths but the journey was worth it when we got to the Botsoela Waterfall where we all took a dip. The trip home was much easier and through glorious green valleys and small villages.

Thursday - Drive back to Maseru and pack!

That's it, a busy, exhausting and thoroughly enjoyable tour. The people of Lesotho are very poor but they live life with a smile on their face. We all know the adjustment we will have to make when we get back to rich glum faced England.