Lesotho’s Football Association has sent a warning to their counterparts, the South African Football Association (SAFA), regarding Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
Mokoena is once again in the spotlight ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
He was fielded in Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win over Lesotho in March while suspended for accumulating two yellow cards. Lesotho did not lodge a protest; hence, FIFA has not taken action.
As a precaution, Mokoena did not play the subsequent match, a 2-0 win over Benin.
He is now back in the team that will play Lesotho in Bloemfontein on Friday, but the ineligibility issue has reared its ugly head again, with Lesotho’s FA threatening to protest.
“Even if Teboho Mokoena just walks on the pitch, we’ll protest,” says Lesotho FA secretary general Mokhosi Mohapi, while speaking to Soccerbeat.
“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. The Benin one, he was simply dropped for fear of reprisal. So this one, we will lodge (a protest) immediately we see him on the list. You know what? He need not even walk onto the pitch. As long as he’s on the team list, we are lodging the protest.”
Gernot Rohr, coach of Benin, has also added his voice to the Mokoena saga.
“It is not normal that we don’t know the situation about the points on the log table before our games this week,” he said.
“It is very, very strange. Normally, South Africa should lose three points, and the points should go to Lesotho. But nobody knows why they (FIFA) did not take this decision.”
