The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) has officially lodged a complaint with FIFA, challenging the eligibility of South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena in last Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Lesotho.

According to LFA, Mokoena, who played a key role in South Africa’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho, should not have featured in the match due to a suspension from accumulated yellow cards in previous qualifiers.

The football association is urging FIFA to take action by revoking South Africa’s win and awarding the three points to Lesotho.

As per FIFA’s disciplinary regulations, any player who receives two yellow cards in separate qualifying matches is required to serve a one-game suspension. LFA provided evidence that Mokoena was booked in South Africa’s 2-1 win against Benin in November 2023 and again in their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in November 2024, making him ineligible to play against Lesotho.

Speaking on the issue, LFA secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi insisted that the South African Football Association (SAFA) should have been aware of Mokoena’s suspension and refrained from fielding him.

“The question is, was a rule broken? If yes, then we have every right to protest and request that FIFA overturn the result in our favour,” Mohapi said in an interview with Sowetan Live.

Mohapi also noted that Nigeria, another team in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, might also join the protest, as the alleged violation could impact the group’s standings and qualification prospects.

“We have received reports that Nigeria is also considering filing a protest, as they too are affected by the situation. They have every right to take action because an unfair advantage has been given to one team,” Mohapi added.

If FIFA rules in Lesotho’s favour, South Africa could be stripped of their victory, and a 3-0 win could be awarded to Lesotho, significantly altering the group standings.

A similar incident occurred in 2013 when FIFA penalized Ethiopia for fielding an ineligible player against Botswana, leading to a points deduction and reshuffling of the group rankings.

Speculation surrounding Mokoena’s eligibility intensified when he was left out of South Africa’s match against Benin, raising questions about whether SAFA was aware of his suspension but chose to ignore it for the Lesotho game.

As of now, FIFA has yet to release an official response, but South Africa faces the serious risk of losing crucial points in their World Cup qualification campaign.