Lesotho Protests South Africa’s Fielding Of Ineligible Players

South African publication, Sowetan Live, has reported that the Lesotho Football Association has confirmed it has sent a query to FIFA over the yellow cards accumulated by Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

If Lesotho’s prayers are heard, the match will be forfeited by South Africa with three points deducted and three goals conceded.

Should that happen, following the Match Day 6 results, South Africa’s point haul will be reduced to 10, but will still retain the top position.

Lesotho in the fifth position, with six points, will jump to the second position with nine points.

Last week, South Africa fielded Mokoena in the match which the hosts won 2-0. The fielding of the player is a breach of the regulations for the World Cup qualifying series.

Nigeria currently at fourth with seven points, will sink to the fifth position, taking the place to be vacated by Lesotho.

Mokoena was not listed by South Africa in their Tuesday’s game with Benin Republic. 

Mokoena was booked in Bafana’s opening match against Benin in 2023, and the fourth qualifier against Zimbabwe last year, meaning he should have served an automatic one-match ban, according to FIFA’s rule 63 governing World Cup qualifiers.

“The question is, was a rule broken? If yes, we are fully entitled to protest and get the points.

“We were made aware of Mokoena’s bookings and we have since sent a formal inquiry to CAF and FIFA,”  the Lesotho FA secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi was quoted by South Africa’s Sowetan Live as saying.

Continuing, the publication quoted the Lesotho FA secretary as saying that:

“We have heard that Nigeria also want to protest and they too are entitled to that because the result (last Friday) prejudices everyone.

“Suppose it was us who fielded a defaulter and got the points, Bafana would have done the same.”

Mohapi was further quoted as saying that  South Africa could not expect to use proximity to Lesotho as a basis not to file a protest.

“Unfortunately, the law is the law and SAFA (South Africa Football Association) should have known about the bookings. We have no hard feelings. We want those points.”

Mokoena – who was curiously missing from the lineup which faced Benin on Tuesday – was booked on the stroke of halftime in Bafana’s Group C against Benin in November 2023, which ended 2-1 in South Africa’s favour, and again in November 2024 against Zimbabwe, when South Africa won 3-1.

That, according to FIFA rules, meant he should not have been eligible for last week’s match.

The likelihood of Bafana losing the points from last week is high, given previous cases.

In 2013, Botswana protested against Ethiopia for having used a player who had accumulated two bookings in their qualifier. FIFA stepped in and awarded a 3-0 win to Botswana.

On claims that Lesotho should have protested 24 hours after the match, Mohapi stated: “There’s no such. If the protest is valid, FIFA will look into it. We are awaiting their response.”

Mokoena – who was curiously missing from the lineup which faced Benin on Tuesday – was booked on the stroke of halftime in Bafana’s Group C against Benin in November 2023, which ended 2-1 in South Africa’s favour, and again in November 2024 against Zimbabwe, when South Africa won 3-1.

That, according to FIFA rules, meant he should not have been eligible for last week’s match.

The likelihood of Bafana losing the points from last week is high, given previous cases.

In 2013, Botswana protested against Ethiopia for having used a player who had accumulated two bookings in their qualifier. FIFA stepped in and awarded a 3-0 win to Botswana.

On claims that Lesotho should have protested 24 hours after the match, Mohapi stated: “There’s no such. If the protest is valid, FIFA will look into it. We are awaiting their response.”