Former Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has added his voice to the growing debate around the eligibility of South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, warning that Bafana Bafana “are in trouble” if the allegations are upheld.
The controversy centers on whether Mokoena should have been suspended for the match in March 2025 due to accumulated yellow cards. If FIFA finds that South Africa fielded an ineligible player, the consequences could be severe.
“The Football Association is responsible for ensuring that only eligible players are fielded,” Oliseh said. “If a team fields an ineligible player and a valid protest is upheld, standard penalties under the FIFA Disciplinary Code include the forfeiture of the match. The result is typically overturned to a 3-0 defeat for the offending team, regardless of the actual score. That would mean South Africa losing three points and Lesotho gaining three.”
Oliseh noted, however, that FIFA can exercise discretion if there are mitigating circumstances, such as an administrative error without deliberate intent. In such cases, penalties may be reduced or waived altogether.
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For any disciplinary action to be taken, Oliseh stressed that strict procedural rules must be followed. “There has to be a protest by the opponent, not anybody else,” he explained. “The protesting team must submit a written protest to the FIFA match commissioner within two hours of the match’s end. This must then be followed by a full written report, including the initial protest, sent to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee within 24 to 48 hours. Untimely or unfounded protests are disregarded.”
That means the fate of the case could hinge on whether Lesotho lodged a formal and timely protest immediately after the match. “We now need to find out if Lesotho did file a timely protest in March 2025 when this happened,” Oliseh said.
The outcome could have major implications for South Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign. If FIFA rules against Bafana Bafana, they would not only lose points but could also face reputational damage, adding fresh pressure on the South African Football Association.
For now, the matter rests with FIFA’s disciplinary process — but Oliseh’s intervention underscores the seriousness of the issue.
