Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) secretary general Mokhosi Mohapi confirmed the association lodged a formal enquiry with FIFA and CAF, over Bafana Bafana's fielding of Teboho Mokoena in a World Cup qualifier.
Mokoena had picked up yellow cards in previous World Cup qualifying games against Benin in November 2023 and Zimbabwe in November 2024. This should have rendered him ineligible for Bafana Bafana's 2-0 win over Lesotho on Friday. However, he started the match.
However, Bafana may have been handed a lifeline due to the fact that Lesotho did not play the game under protest. But Mohapi confirmed to ESPN that LeFA's formal enquiry with FIFA over Mokoena's eligibility was lodged on Tuesday, March 25 - four days after the match was played.
"It was meant to alert FIFA on their records," he told ESPN.
FIFA's Legal handbook states: "Protests must reach the Disciplinary Committee in writing, indicating the relevant grounds, within 24 hours of the end of the match in question."
It further states: "The 24-hour time limit cannot be extended. For the sake of the smooth running of the competition, the corresponding competition regulations may shorten the deadline accordingly."
In separate comments attributed to Mohapi by SowetanLIVE, he was quoted as claiming FIFA were still duty-bound to examine the complaint - even though it was submitted over 24 hours after the match was finished.
"There's no such [thing]. If the protest is valid, FIFA will look into it. We are awaiting their response," Mohapi was quoted as saying on claims LeFA had missed the deadline.
He was also quoted as saying he had heard Nigeria - currently sitting fourth in Group C, six points behind Bafana - were looking into the matter too.
According to the FIFA Legal Handbook published in September 2024, the organisation has the right to hand Lesotho a retrospective victory via forfeit. This would move Likuena up to second from fifth out of six teams in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group C, while Bafana's five-point lead at the top of the table would be reduced to one.
Only the top team in the group will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams across nine groups will participate in a knockout tournament. The winner of that will progress to the inter-confederation playoffs for the final two World Cup spots, which they will contest with one team each from AFC, CONMEBOL and OFC and two from CONCACAF.
Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle gave little away on the matter when addressing the media on Wednesday: "I don't want to tell you about that. I said yesterday [Tuesday] we are focused on our game, so this is why I talked to my guys after the game.
"I told them [players] to look forward to second place. They did a great job during the ten days. So they deserve this qualification [World Cup]. I am trusting them, and maybe if South Africa loses three points, the last game is against Rwanda, so we can pass this team, and after that, we have a game against South Africa. We will see what happens in the coming days if it is true."
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos said: "I cannot comment on that at this point. It is an issue that will be resolved in the coming days, so I ask that you not expect any further information from me. No comment."
In July 2013, Ethiopia were docked three points for fielding an ineligible player in their 2014 World Cup qualifier against Botswana on June 8. It is unclear when a protest was lodged with FIFA in this instance, but news only broke of it over a week after the match was played and the points were stripped the following month.