Teboho Mokoena's selection controversy haunts Bafana Bafana South Africa may escape sanction over the fielding of the suspended Teboho Mokoena as Lesotho missed the 24-hour deadline to report the matter to the match commissioner or CAF. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Image: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana will reportedly not be sanctioned for their blunder of selecting Teboho Mokoena in last week’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.
Hugo Broos’ men won the game 2-0 to move to the top of Group C. However, Mokoena’s selection for the game threatened to derail the team’s campaign.
Mokoena received a yellow card in their opening match against Benin and another in the following match against Zimbabwe. According to FIFA’s regulations, a player who accumulates two yellow cards in separate matches must serve a one-match suspension. Mokoena should not have featured in the Lesotho encounter.
However, the blunder was not picked up by Lesotho, and they missed the 24-hour deadline to report the matter to the match commissioner, CAF or FIFA. According to TimesLive, disaster has bee averted and SAFA officials can breath a sigh of relief.
According to the same TimesLive report, officials at SAFA were in a panic when it was discovered that they had fielded an ineligible player for the clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Despite this, the Nigerian Football Federation have called on FIFA to dock three points from South Africa for the error. The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) have also confirmed that they have sent a query to FIFA.
Going into the last five qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Nigeria trail Group C leaders Bafana Bafana by four points. South Africa being docked three points could see that gap cut down to just a point, playing heavily into the Super Eagles hands.
The two teams are scheduled to play each other in South Africa on September 25. In June last year, Bafana earned a very crucial point after holding the Nigerians to a 1-1 draw at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
IOL Sport