Lesotho FA official Mokhosi Mohapi urges Fifa to take fair action over Bafana Bafana's Teboho Mokoena suspension saga - 'Live and die by your rules'

Lesotho Football Association secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi has dared Fifa to apply rules without fear after they lodged a complaint against South Africa following a 2026 World Cup qualifier encounter in Polokwane.

Bafana Bafana hosted and defeated Lesotho, but the 2-0 win for the former African champions has been overshadowed by complaints that Teboho Mokoena was not supposed to play.

The Sundowns star started the game before he was replaced by Thalente Mbatha in the 82nd minute. His appearance was later flagged off by Lesotho, who raised the claim that the Premier Soccer League winner should not have featured at all because he had received two yellow cards in previous matches.

Now, the Lesotho FA has stated that if Fifa needs to be seen as a fair body in applying the law, it should do so against South Africa.

"First of all, you should understand that the Lesotho Football Association is a member of Fifa, who is in good standing, and therefore we are obligated to protect the integrity of sports," Mohapi said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

"We are also obligated to assist Fifa in protecting the integrity of the game. Now, we are merely saying to Fifa, 'Live and die by your regulations'. If you have precedence where you have deducted points before on matters that are very similar to the subject today, do so. So then we know your notion of fair play is applied irrespective of who is the perpetrator in this instance.

"If Fifa finds that they have instances before, deducted points, and allocated somewhere, I just say they must do it now without looking at technicalities," he added.

"But we are merely helping Fifa as a bona fide member in good standing that lives and dies by your regulations. Be seen to apply the notion of fair play consistently.

"I must be honest with you (in regard to whether there are talks with the Nigeria Football Federation joining as an interested party). If I were to talk with the Nigerian Football Federation, I would talk with Dr. (Mohammed) Sanusi, who is the secretary-general. I have not spoken to him ever since in Egypt," Mohapi clarified.

The suspension saga, which has dominated headlines over the past days, has cast a negative shadow on Bafana's hard-fought victories over their Group C rivals, Lesotho and Benin.

The ball now is in Fifa's court, at least according to Lesotho, and their next course of action is a much-anticipated outcome for not only the contesting parties but also the other nations in the group.

The two wins registered in the March international break consolidated Bafana's lead as they now enjoy a five-point gap.

With bated breaths, both nations are waiting for what Fifa would say. Whether Fifa's response will come before the next round of qualifiers is not clear for now.

Four games remain before the qualification process ends. Lesotho will host Bafana on September 1 before the South Africans host the Super Eagles on September 8.

Thereafter, they will host Zimbabwe on October 6 before a final game against Rwanda on October 13.