If FIFA decides to penalize the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, the Super Eagles’ hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup could be significantly enhanced.
Nigeria is presently faced with a stiff challenge in qualifying for the world’s premier football tournament, with a four-point deficit behind leaders South Africa in their group and only five games left to play as of the time of this report.
Nevertheless, the Super Eagles’ chances could improve if FIFA finds South Africa guilty of fielding an ineligible player.
The Bafana Bafana have been accused of fielding Teboho Mokoena in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday, despite his alleged ineligibility due to suspension.
As per the FIFA rule book, Mokoena ought to have been suspended against Lesotho after receiving two yellow cards in two previous games in the same qualifying campaign.
Mokoena, a Mamelodi Sundowns star, received a yellow card in the 45th minute of South Africa’s 2-1 win over Benin on matchday 1 and another yellow card in the 52nd minute of the 3-1 win over Zimbabwe on matchday 4. As a result, Mokoena was expected to miss the 2-0 win over Lesotho on matchday 5, having received two yellow cards in four games.
FIFA rules state that a player who receives two cautions in two different matches of the same competition is automatically suspended from the team’s subsequent match.
However, Mokoena played in South Africa’s subsequent game against Lesotho despite accumulating two yellow cards in two different matches in this qualifying campaign.
What implications does this have for the Super Eagles?
Right now, FIFA has not released a statement on the situation as both South Africa and Nigeria are currently preparing for their matchday 6 games against Benin and Zimbabwe, respectively.
However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can raise the issue with FIFA, which would likely lead to a sanction for South Africa.
The normal punishment for fielding an ineligible player in a game is a three-point deduction but FIFA will still need to rule on the situation.
