W’Cup qualifiers: Lesotho urges FIFA to be fair over Mokoena’s ban
The Secretary-General of the Lesotho Football Association, Mokhosi Mohapi, has admitted that the LFA didn’t file their protest against South Africa for fielding an ineligible player during their 2026 World Cup qualifying match last Friday, in accordance with the statutes but insists that they want FIFA to interpret the laws fairly, The NewsNGR reports.
Despite leading the Africa qualifying Group C with five points, South Africa have been in a tough spot as they face a potential three-point deduction for fielding Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho despite his suspension.
Bafana Bafana secured a 2-0 win in that game, with goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams, but the blunder could cost them dearly.
Mokoena had accumulated two yellow cards in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Zimbabwe, making him ineligible for the Lesotho match. However, his participation went unnoticed until after the game, putting the team at risk of punishment from the football governing body.
The potential points deduction will further throw the group open, but it is also feared that the protest might not come to fruition as it was not filed according to the FIFA regulations, which stipulated two hours after the game and 24 hours after the game.
“FIFA should do what is right for the good of the game but then the prospect of success, if you look at the article that talked about protest, it is a non-starter because the protest was not lodged in accordance with the statute,” the LFA secretary-general told Newzroom Africa.
Mohapi believes FIFA should have enforced the rules by looking at their inventory rather than wait on Lesotho or any other football association to protest.
“But if you look at article 8.3, which says they should have been automatically suspended, then the ball is in FIFA’s court. It is up to them to make a decision that is consistent with what they have done in the past and what they should be doing in the future to make sure that the sport is played fairly.”
It is believed that the Nigeria Football Federation would also fuel the protest, but Mohapi waved off their involvement with Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions.
“Whether they give us the three points or not is not a matter for consideration. The letter was sent on Tuesday and we are in constant communication with FIFA and SAFA. There is no bad blood between us and SAFA. We do not even mean to allow ourselves to be drawn into the Nigerian aspiration of qualification. Let us all play the game on the field of play with strict adherence to the regulations.”
After six games in the qualifying series, Nigeria are fourth in the group with seven points, six points behind leaders South Africa.
