World Cup
Lesotho, Nigeria’s next World Cup opponents Hail FIFA Verdict as Justice Served in Mokoena Eligibility Row
The Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) says it feels “vindicated” by FIFA’s decision to sanction South Africa with a three-point deduction over the controversial fielding of midfielder Teboho Mokoena, a ruling that has dramatically reshaped Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers.
The world governing body ruled that Bafana Bafana must forfeit their 1-0 victory over Lesotho in March, awarding Likuena a 3-0 win after Mokoena was found to have played while under suspension.
The verdict dropped South Africa to second place in the group — level on nine points with Lesotho but behind Benin on goal difference — and sparked a fierce response from the South African Football Association (SAFA), which has vowed to appeal the decision.
LeFA general secretary Mokhosi Mohapi told Sowetan, a South African newspaper that his association welcomed the outcome, insisting the protest was never personal but about upholding football’s integrity.
“FIFA has done well to respect its own regulations. We had always maintained that our pursuit of this case had nothing to do with South Africa,” Mohapi said.
“Lesotho is a bona fide member of FIFA, and we played our rightful role to ensure the football rules are respected. We are happy to have been vindicated.”
With the ruling, Lesotho now moves to nine points and a +5 goal difference, while Bafana’s goal balance dips from +8 to +3. Benin, also on nine points, top the group on superior goal difference.
The new standings set up a tense finale, as Benin, South Africa, Lesotho, and Rwanda all remain in contention for the group’s sole qualification slot to the 2026 finals in North America.
“We would have loved for the case to be finalised earlier,” Mohapi added. “It would have helped us approach our September games differently, knowing we had nine points already. But the group is now interesting — four of the five teams still have a chance.”
Despite the fallout, Mohapi stressed he bore no ill will toward Bafana Bafana or coach Hugo Broos.
“If Bafana eventually make it as group winners, I will buy their shirt and support them at the World Cup because they would have earned their place. Mr Broos should know I was not talking nonsense when I said SA had a case to answer. I now feel fulfilled,” he said.
FIFA also imposed a CHF 10,000 fine on SAFA, while Mokoena — who was subsequently omitted from South Africa’s next matchday squad — received only a warning.
In a statement, SAFA expressed disappointment with the decision, calling it “unprecedented” and faulting the process for lacking transparency.
“We are deeply disappointed with this outcome, noting that it was delivered by a single-member panel without reasons,” SAFA said.
“We have requested written reasons and intend to lodge a formal appeal within the prescribed 10-day period.”
However, the statement was silent on whether disciplinary action will be taken against the officials responsible for the administrative lapse.
South Africa will look to recover lost ground when they host Zimbabwe on October 10 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, before wrapping up their group campaign against Rwanda on October 14 at Mbombela Stadium.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed it will appeal a FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision that handed Bafana Bafana a 3-0 defeat and imposed a fine over the alleged ineligible fielding of midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho.
In a statement released on Monday, SAFA said it “acknowledges” the ruling, which declared that South Africa forfeited the 21 March 2025 fixture, originally played and won on the pitch, due to Mokoena’s participation. In addition to the forfeit, the Zurich-based body fined SAFA CHF 10,000 (approximately R210,000), while Mokoena received an official warning.
The Association described the sanction as “deeply disappointing” and “unprecedented,” criticising the process for being handled by a single-member panel “without reasons” and “without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments.”
“The Association confirms that we have requested written reasons for the judgment and intend to lodge a formal appeal with the FIFA Appeals Committee within the prescribed 10-day period under FIFA’s disciplinary rules,” SAFA stated.
SAFA apologised to South Africans for what it called an “administrative oversight” but urged supporters to continue backing Bafana Bafana in their qualification campaign.
“Despite the outcome, we emphasise our continued commitment to supporting Bafana Bafana. The players and technical team have worked extremely hard, and we remain focused on ensuring they secure maximum points in the matches ahead,” the statement added.
The ruling has dealt a blow to South Africa’s qualification hopes, with the loss of three points and three goals altering the complexion of Group C in the African qualifiers.
Bafana Bafana will look to bounce back when they host Zimbabwe at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on 10 October 2025, before taking on Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on 14 October 2025. Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 18h00.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Following FIFA’s decision to strip South Africa of three points (from their 2–0 win over Lesotho) and award Lesotho a 3–0 win by default, the Group C table has been reshuffled. Benin Republic now lead the pack after getting 14 points like South Africa, but having a better goal difference.
Nigeria sits close behind on 11 points, the same as Rwanda. Lesotho follow with six points while Zimbabwe occupy the bottom position.
Under the CAF / FIFA format, only the group winner qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the runner-up may still have a route via playoffs.
The forfeiture has thus dealt a major blow to South Africa’s campaign — turning what looked like a steady lead into a precarious position.
Revised Standings after the Forfeiture
TEAMS P W D L F A GD P Benin 8 4 2 2 12 9 +4 14 S/Africa 8 4 2 2 12 9 +3 14 Nigeria 8 2 5 1 9 7 +2 11 Rwanda 8 3 2 3 5 5 0 11 Lesotho 8 2 3 3 7 9 -2 9 Zimbabwe 8 0 4 4 5 11 -6 4
Projections for the Final Two Matchdays
With just two matchdays remaining, here are some likely scenarios and what each team must do to stay in contention:
Team What They Need Projection / Outlook Benin Win or even a draw in both remaining matches could see them hold on to top spot (depending on goal difference). Very strong contender for direct qualification. Their consistent form and now having the better goal difference give them an edge. South Africa Must win both remaining matches and hope Benin slips up (or win by large margins to overturn the goal difference). The forfeiture has put them on the back foot. They’ll need near-perfect results and favourable outcomes elsewhere. Nigeria Must win both games, and hope both South Africa and Benin falter. They may also need to overturn goal differences in their favour. In a “long shot” but not eliminated yet. Their fate will depend heavily on others. Rwanda Same as Nigeria: wins in both, plus help from Benin or South Africa dropping points. Outside chance. They’ll need both excellent performances and missteps by rivals. Lesotho / Zimbabwe Realistically, their chances for qualification are gone. They may fight for pride or upset results, but the math is against them. Unlikely to contend for top places.
Key Variables to Watch
- Goal difference: With Benin and South Africa level on points, margin of victories and conceded goals will likely decide the top spot.
- Direct matches among top teams: If Benin, South Africa or Nigeria meet each other in those last two rounds, those head-to-head outcomes will be pivotal.
- Psychological pressure: South Africa now face an uphill climb, having lost those points. Confidence, momentum, and management decisions will matter more than ever.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
South Africa have been stripped of three points in their World Cup qualifying campaign for fielding an ineligible player, denting their hopes of reaching next year’s finals.
FIFA said on Monday that its disciplinary committee had found South Africa guilty of playing midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a 2-0 home win over Lesotho in March when he should have sat out the qualifier after two cautions in previous Group C games.
Lesotho have been awarded a 3-0 victory, with South Africa stripped of the points and fined 10,000 Swiss Francs ($12,536.04), while Mokoena was given a warning.
Benin now top the standings on goal difference, level with South Africa on 14 points with two games left.
Nigeria, who were the group favourites, are three points behind along with Rwanda. Only the group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, though the runners-up have a chance to win a berth albeit through an arduous playoff process.
In the penultimate round of qualifiers on October 10, Benin visit Rwanda, Lesotho host Nigeria and South Africa take on Zimbabwe.
The final set of key games on October 14 see South Africa hosting Rwanda while Benin are at neighbouring Nigeria.
EMBARRASSMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA
Losing the points is a major embarrassment for the South African Football Association, with coach Hugo Broos already admitting: “We did something bad, we did something we shouldn’t do.”
But FIFA’s handling of the matter has come in for criticism as it took world soccer’s governing body almost seven months to settle a routine matter.
It had not held a disciplinary hearing before the last round of World Cup qualifiers, to the ire of the other countries.
“It is not normal that we don’t know the situation about the points on the log table before our games (last month),” said Benin coach Gernot Rohr.
FIFA did not respond to multiple enquiries from March onwards about possible sanctions for South Africa, leaving the matter hanging until earlier this month when the body announced it was opening an investigation.
To be able to do this in the autumn climbing season when we’re the only expedition here and you have to set the route, you have to fix the route with the Sherpas and actually find the route to the summit in deep snow.
FIFA’s rules state: “If a person receives a caution in two separate matches of the same FIFA competition, they are automatically suspended from the next match in that competition.
“If a team fields a player who is not eligible to participate (due to suspension, registration issues, nationality, etc.), the match is automatically forfeited.
“The default result is a 3-0 loss, unless the actual result was even more disadvantageous to the offending team.”
It is not the first time a country has been docked points for fielding an ineligible player in African World Cup qualification.
In the 2018 qualifiers, FIFA awarded Algeria a 3-0 win as a result of Nigeria fielding the ineligible Shehu Abdullahi, after their match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Ahead of the 2014 finals in Brazil, the Cape Verde Islands lost out on a playoff spot after using Fernando Varela in their shock group win against Tunisia. He was still suspended, so Tunisia went through to the playoffs instead of the islanders.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
Lesotho, Nigeria’s next World Cup opponents Hail FIFA Verdict as Justice Served in Mokoena Eligibility Row
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup1 week ago
Zimbabwe Breaks South Africa’s ‘Home Advantage’ Trend in World Cup Qualifiers
- World Cup5 days ago
FIFA Unveils Colourful Trio of Mascots for Historic 2026 World Cup
- World Cup17 hours ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Kwara United Ready to Shock Asante Kotoko in CAF Confederation Cup Showdown
- World Cup6 days ago
Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as US tightens visa policies
- Nigerian Football21 hours ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- CAF Champions League1 week ago
Tanzania’s Young Africans make ‘Yanga’ with three away goals in Angola
- CAF Champions League1 week ago
Remo Stars Eye Strong Start as They Host US Zilimadjou in CAF Champions League