Lesotho officially complained to FIFA about the ineligibility of South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena, jeopardizing Bafana Bafana’s crucial World Cup qualifier win.
Teboho Mokoena picked up yellow cards on both instances – in 2023 against Benin and again Zimbabwe in 2024 – and ought to be routinely suspended for one match.
He played for South Africa against Lesotho in a 2-0 victory last Friday in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, though, raising questions with respect to suspected ignorance of the FIFA rules.
Lesotho Football Association (LFA) secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi highlighted their right to protest.
“The issue is, did a rule get breached? If so, we are fully within our rights to protest and demand the points,” he told SowetanLIVE
Mohapi also said that Nigeria, another Group C contender, is considering a similar protest.
South Africa’s football supremos are now in the dock, reports suggesting administrative oversight allowed Mokoena to play. Someone close to SAFA lamented as quoted by SowetanLIVE
“The team manager was supposed to tell the coach (Hugo Broos) that Mokoena has two yellows. He shouldn’t have played.”
Past FIFA precedents suggest Bafana Bafana would lose the three points for the Lesotho game.
In 2013, Ethiopia had lost a game to Botswana under the same circumstances. While some would have protests be heard within 24 hours, Mohapi shot down this notion, saying, “If the protest is valid, FIFA will look into it.”
