2026 World Cup Qualifiers: We will launch a protest if South Africa field Teboho Mokoena – Lesotho football chief Mokhosi Mohapi

Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) Secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi has issued a stern warning to the South African Football Association (SAFA) over the potential fielding of midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash.

Earlier this year, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos included Mokoena in a match against Lesotho, despite the player being ineligible.

LeFA did not immediately file a formal protest with FIFA at the time, a delay that may have influenced the governing body’s decision not to pursue the matter.

With the next encounter between South Africa and Lesotho approaching, Mohapi made it clear that any repeat of Mokoena’s participation would prompt an official complaint.

According to the LeFA chief, Mokoena has yet to serve a one-match suspension against Lesotho, which was triggered after accumulating two yellow cards in previous fixtures against Benin and Zimbabwe.

“Yes, if South Africa dare play Teboho Mokoena, we will launch a protest,” Mohapi said on SoccerBeat YouTube Channel.

“I will tell you why, we will launch a protest so that it goes back to the other match because he has never served the suspension that he was meant to have served.

“The suspension was supposed to be automatic during the match against Lesotho, so he did not. So now we are going to say for the match against Benin he was not serving his ban. He was not picked for that match,” he explained.

“For all intents and purposes, so far as the regulation is concerned, SAFA did not pick him for that match because that was not a match at which he had to serve the suspension.

“So I’m just going to wait until, say, three minutes into the game, then we will launch the protest. The regulation is clear. It says an automatic suspension for fielding an ineligible player. So he was ineligible to play the Lesotho match. Not the Benin one,” added the secretary.

Mohapi added that the protest would be immediate once Mokoena is included, even before he steps onto the pitch.

“The Benin one, he was simply dropped for fear of reprisal. So this one, we will launch immediately, immediately, we see him on the list. You know what? He needs not even walk onto the pitch. As long as he’s on the team list, we are launching the protest,” he added.

Currently, South Africa leads Group C with 13 points, five ahead of both Rwanda and Benin, who are tied on eight points.

Nigeria sits fourth with seven points, while Lesotho occupy fifth with six points. Zimbabwe remains at the bottom of the group with four points, with four games remaining in the qualification campaign.