The secretary general of the Lesotho Football Association, Mokhosi Mohapi, has issued a warning that they will protest if Bafana Bafana fields Teboho Mokoena in Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The Group C encounter between Lesotho and Bafana Bafana will be played at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday at 6 PM. Lesotho will host the match in SA because their home stadiums do not meet the standards set by CAF and FIFA.
Lesotho asserts that Mokoena should not have played against them in March at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, where the game concluded with a 2-0 victory for Bafana. They discovered after the match that Mokoena was ineligible due to suspension. Bafana subsequently decided to omit him from the team for the game against Benin four days later.
Lesotho lodged a protest with FIFA, but the deadline for an appeal had already passed. They continue to believe that Mamelodi Sundowns star Mokoena was not suspended in the match against Benin, and argue that this omission affected the dynamics of their previous game.
Lesotho’s primary grievance is their belief that Mokoena’s suspension impacted the outcome of their last encounter, creating an unfair advantage.
WHAT MOHAPI SAID ABOUT TEBOHO MOKOENA?
“FIFA has a set of rules. We all have to abide by the rules, and we have to do so even if it means reminding someone to do so,” Mohapi told journalists at the Toyota Stadium.
“He never sat out any match. He was supposed to sit out our match, even the Benin match; it was just a caution. Mokeoan was not really serving the suspension. If we allow people to pick and choose [when to serve suspension], then this football thing will go into disarray. Somebody has to do something…”
He said it was ridiculous that there was no word on what action FIFA would take until now. “We will start today in the pre-match meeting [protesting]. If they dare put him in, [we will protest]. Teboho should start serving his suspension; don’t prolong it. Isn’t it what’s supposed to happen in terms of football regulations if you want him to keep playing on and on as if anything has happened?”
Meanwhile, Lesotho national team coach Leslie Notsi said their focus was just on preparing for the game. He said: “The rest was more for the administrators to deal with.”
“Our job is just to prepare to see to it that the team is well prepared for the match. Of course, we have asked ourselves [about the Mokoena issue]. One has to do that. But there are things that you cannot manage that you can control. The best thing is to focus on what you can control. That is preparing the team and waiting to hear any decision that will be made by those who are in charge.”
Bafana are currently top of Group C, having amassed 13 points from six games. On the other hand, Lesotho are fifth with six points from six games.
RELATED STORY: Mbule and Moloisane receive late Bafana Bafana call-ups
