FIFA Mum on Ineligible Player Claims As Nigeria Demand 3-Point Deduction From South Africa
- The world football governing body, FIFA, has remained silent on the ineligibility of a South African player during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- Bafana Bafana fielded Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena despite having received two yellow cards in previous matches
- Hugo Broos laments an administrative blunder that could cost South Africa crucial World Cup qualifying points
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) are yet to release a statement regarding South Africa's ineligible player.
The Lesotho Football Association has called on FIFA to be fair in its judgment, as Bafana Bafana violated a section of the rules governing the game.
Other countries may join Lesotho and Nigeria in demanding a 3-point deduction from South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
FIFA remain silent on South Africa’s case
According to NewsTap, FIFA has not responded to an official inquiry regarding the deduction of three points and three goals from Bafana Bafana.
South Africa fielded midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their match against Lesotho on March 21 at Peter Mokaba Stadium, even though he had two yellow cards from previous matches, per TntSports.
Bafana Bafana won 2-0, with goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams.
South Africa are currently sitting comfortably at the top of the table with 13 points, as coach Hugo Broos remains determined to lead the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, Lesotho sit in fifth position with six points from six matches.
Source: Getty Images
Can South Africa escape FIFA sanction?
South Africa pundits are postulating that the Lesotho Football Association failed to utilise the 24-hour window provided to file a protest.
According to the FIFA World Cup qualifying regulations, a player who receives two yellow cards becomes ineligible to participate in the following match.
The rule book says:
“Protests regarding the eligibility of players selected for matches in the preliminary competition shall be submitted in writing to the FIFA Match Commissioner within two hours of the match in question and followed up with a full written report, including a copy of the original protest, to be submitted to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the applicable provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and by email to qualifiers@fifa.org within 24 hours of the end of the match and shall be dealt with by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, otherwise they will be disregarded."
Nigeria faced similar challenges during their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, but no protest was filed.
The Super Eagles were penalised by FIFA for fielding Shehu Abdullahi, an ineligible player, in a 1-1 draw against Algeria per BBC.
Chelle reacts to impending sanctions on South Africa
Legit.ng earlier reported that Eric Chelle declined to confirm whether he was aware that South Africa could face FIFA sanctions before Nigeria’s encounter with Zimbabwe
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.
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Source: Legit.ng
