If the god of soccer remains on the side of Nigeria, chances are, that the Super Eagles may be able to feature in the World Cup football fiesta, following the decision of FIFA, against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
On Monday, FIFA ruled that Bafana Bafana fielded an ineligible player in their March 21 clash against Lesotho. The disciplinary committee announced that South Africa must forfeit the match, which they had originally won 2-0, awarding a 3-0 victory to Lesotho.
The punishment stems from the appearance of Teboho Mokoena, a midfielder, who was to have served a one-match suspension, having had two yellow cards earlier in previous matches.
By allowing him to play, the South African Football Association (SAFA) breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as well as Article 14 of the 2026 World Cup preliminary competition regulations.
In addition to the forfeit, South Africa has been fined 10,000 Swiss francs, while Mokoena has been issued with a formal warning.
The ruling is effective immediately, and South Africa’s points tally in Group C has now dropped from 17 to 14, leaving their qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
The impact on the standings is significant. South Africa had been clear leaders, but the deduction now places them level on points with Benin.
Nigeria and Rwanda, just three points behind, suddenly see their chances revived, with two decisive fixtures still to be played in the group. Lesotho, who are officially credited with a 3-0 win, also benefit from the ruling, though their prospects of qualifying remain slim.
SAFA has been given ten days to request a detailed, motivated decision from Fifa, which would later be published on the governing body’s legal website. The association also has the right to appeal the sanction before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
While SAFA has yet to issue a detailed response, officials previously played down the risk of disciplinary action, insisting they were focused on the remaining qualifiers. Rival coaches and observers, however, have already voiced frustration at the delay in delivering the ruling, with Benin coach Gernot Rohr describing the process as “very, very strange.”
