Eric Chelle Reacts to Reports That FIFA Could Sanction South Africa in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has shared his thoughts on the ongoing issue involving group leaders South Africa fielding an ineligible player during their World Cup qualifiers
- The Lesotho Football Association has filed a protest with FIFA over Bafana Bafana fielding Teboho Mokoena
- The Crocodiles were defeated 2-0 by South Africa in their CAF Qualification Group C match last week
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Eric Chelle declined to confirm whether he was aware that South Africa could face FIFA sanctions before Nigeria’s encounter with Zimbabwe.
The Warriors held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw, with substitute Tawanda Chirewa canceling out Victor Osimhen's goal at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday night.
Bafana Bafana currently top CAF Qualification Group C with 13 points, while Nigeria is in fourth place with seven points.
Source: Getty Images
Chelle says Nigeria focused on Zimbabwe match
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle said his team was focused on securing three points against Zimbabwe in their World Cup qualifiers but fell short of the goal.
According to AllNigeria, the 47-year-old mentioned that if South Africa is deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player, Nigeria could finish second in the group by winning their remaining matches.
The former Mali coach added that his players have been fantastic during the qualifiers and deserve a spot at the 2026 World Cup. He said:
"I do not want to tell you about the incident between South Africa and Lesotho. I said yesterday we are focused on our game against Zimbabwe, so this is why I talked to my guys after their encounter.
"I am trusting them, and maybe if Bafana Bafana loses three points, the last game is against Rwanda, so we can pass this team and after that we have a game against South Africa.
"I told the players to look forward to second place. They did a great job during the ten days, so they deserve this qualification."
The Super Eagles' World Cup campaign suffered a major setback with their 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo.
Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen put Nigeria on the scoresheet in the 73rd minute before being replaced by Bayer Leverkusen star Boniface.
Zimbabwe compounded the Super Eagles' woes, scoring an equaliser in the 90th minute from substitute Tawanda Chirewa.
Nigeria sit in fourth place with seven points after six matches per TnTSports.
Source: Getty Images
Lesotho write to FIFA
The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) has confirmed it has sent a query to FIFA over South Africa fielding an ineligible player in their World Cup qualifiers last week.
According to SouthAfrican, Bafana Bafana featured Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena, violating FIFA regulations due to accumulated yellow cards.
South Africa battled hard to secure a 2-0 victory over Lesotho in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at Peter Mokaba Stadium last week.
Mokoena received his first yellow card against Benin Republic in November 2023 and his second against Zimbabwe in June 2024, as reported by Sportwire.
LFA Secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi insisted that South Africa violated the rule and should be punished.
Mohapi added that he was informed the Nigeria Football Federation has filed a protest to FIFA regarding their position in the group standings. He said via Sowetanlive:
“The question is, was a rule broken? If yes, we are fully entitled to protest and get the points.
"We were made aware of Mokoena’s bookings and we have since sent a formal inquiry to CAF and Fifa.
“We have heard that Nigeria also wants to protest, and they too are entitled to that. Suppose it was us who fielded a defaulter and got the points, Bafana would have done the same.”
South Africa fans react
Legit.ng earlier reported that Bafana Bafana fans have pointed fingers at Nigeria for their current troubles.
One fan claimed the South African team was "bewitched" by Nigeria, while another blamed the incompetence of the technical crew.
A third fan criticised the South African media for using the news of the ineligible player to distract the team ahead of their upcoming match with Benin Republic.
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Source: Legit.ng
