Bafana Bafana’s victory over Lesotho in the FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday may be jeopardized, as they potentially fielded an ineligible player.

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena should not have participated in the match due to accumulating two yellow cards. He received a caution against Benin in match day one at Moses Mabhida Stadium in November 2023, and another against Zimbabwe at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein in June.

Despite this, Mokoena played against Lesotho before being substituted in the 82nd minute by Thalente Mbatha as Bafana Bafana won 2-0.

While Lesotho FA had 24 hours to file a protest and did not, Sportswire has learned they are now holding an emergency meeting to explore avenues for approaching FIFA, arguing Mokoena’s ineligibility.

This publication has also been informed that the South African Football Association (SAFA) has instructed the technical team not to field Mokoena in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Benin on Tuesday (18:00).

Managing player suspensions falls under the responsibility of the Bafana Bafana team manager, a role held by Vincent Tseka.

Sources previously described Tseka as allegedly inefficient, with frequent conflicts with the technical team. He was also accused of failing to secure a training venue—Dobsonville Stadium—in 2022 when Bafana Bafana hosted Sierra Leone.

SAFA may face a fine for fielding Mokoena, despite Lesotho FA’s failure to lodge a timely protest. The final outcome remains uncertain.

Following their win against Lesotho, Bafana Bafana currently leads Group C with 10 points after five matches, two points ahead of second-placed Benin.