Teboho Mokoena, at the centre of it all
* After the victory against Lesotho, it was revealed that coach Hugo Broos started Teboho Mokoena in the fixture and played 81 minutes
* Though having picked two yellow cards against Benin and Zimbabwe earlier in the campaign
* South Africa top their Group C with a comfortable 13 points, leading by 5 points with four games left to play
* A deduction of points from would prove a massive blow to their aspirations of qualifying for the global spectacle in North and Central America next year
Maravi Express
Four other African nations are reportedly willing to advocate for Bafana Bafana’s three-point deduction gained in FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier for featuring Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last month when was in fact ineligible for the match, having been cautioned in two previous qualifiers.
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That country’s online media platform, Soccer Laduma quotes Own Goal Nigeria as saying Togo, Ethiopia, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea could all approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport should FIFA not decide to deduct three points from Bafana Bafana.
After the victory against Lesotho, it was revealed that coach Hugo Broos started Mokoena in the fixture and played 81 minutes though having picked two yellow cards against Benin and Zimbabwe earlier in the campaign.
But FIFA statutes state that any team wishing to protest the eligibility of a player has 24 hours after the final whistle of the match to do so.
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“However, the Lesotho Football Association did not lodge a protest in time but are still hoping the world football governing body will take it upon themselves to address the matter,” reports Soccer Laduma.
“Should the Swiss-based body decide against taking action, it is alleged that Nigeria, Togo, Ethiopia, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea will take the matter to CAS, as all these nations have, at some point since 2013, had results overturned due to fielding an ineligible player.“
A deduction of points from South Africa, who top their Group C with a comfortable lead of 5 points with four games left to play, would prove a massive blow to their aspirations of qualifying for the global spectacle in North and Central America next year.
The BBC Sport Africa reported that Lesotho did submit a query to FIFA but late about the incident with the FA general secretary Mokhosi Mohapi hoping that the world football governing body would “respect their own regulations and act appropriately”.
“Even if they just caution South Africa, it will be okay,” Mohapi told BBC Sport Africa. “If they give us the points, so be it. [It would be] the cherry on top.
“There’s no malice but it’s just that we are looking for the regulations to be adhered to. If it were us who had defeated South Africa, wouldn’t [they] do the same?”
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Mokoena was withdrawn from the squad that faced Benin after the game against Lesotho and should South Africa be punished with a points deduction, their hopes of appearing at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, will be back in the balance.
Instead of the 2-0 win for Bafana Bafana, Lesotho could be awarded a 3-0 technical victory that would move them up to second in the table and one point behind South Africa.
It would also boost Nigeria’s chances of qualification, given the Super Eagles sit six points adrift of top spot with four rounds of fixtures remaining.
Only the group winners are assured of a place at next year’s 48-team tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.—Content by Soccer Laduma & BBC Sport Africa; editing by Maravi Express
