World Cup Qualifiers: South Africa Faces Possible 3-Point Deduction Over Ineligible Player
In their recent 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday, South Africa, who are presently leading Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifications, could face repercussions for selecting an ineligible player.
Teboho Mokoena, the South African midfielder in question, was not allowed to play in the match against Lesotho because he had received two yellow cards in previous games.
Mokoena was cautioned once again in a 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024 after receiving his first yellow card in a 2-1 victory over the Benin Republic at home in November 2023.
Despite this, he started the match against Lesotho and played for 82 minutes until being replaced by Thalente Mbatha.
According to FIFA’s qualification rules, a player who receives two yellow cards is not allowed to play in any more games.
FIFA rules state that if a player or team official receives two cautions in a single contest or throughout a series of games, they will be immediately suspended.
Nigeria and Lesotho, who are presently four points behind South Africa in the group, have the chance to publicly challenge this circumstance. Any protest, though, must be filed right away.
According to FIFA, any doubts about a player’s eligibility must be brought to the attention of the FIFA Match Commissioner in writing within two hours following the match. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee must then receive a complete report within twenty-four hours. The protest can be ignored if the deadline is missed.
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Lesotho could receive three points, increasing their total to eight, if the protest is successful. Depending on the outcome of future games, this might drastically change the standings and enable Nigeria to pass South Africa.
After five games, South Africa currently leads the group with 10 points, closely followed by Rwanda (7 points), the Benin Republic (8 points), and Nigeria (6 points). In terms of where they stand in this difficult group, South Africa’s next game against the Benin Republic will be very important.
