South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are banking on the fact that Lesotho failed to protest their fielding of ineligible Teboho Mokoena in their World Cup qualifier last Friday, will spare them points deduction.
The South Africa Football Association and the Bafana Bafana pressed the panic button after it was discovered they fielded Mokoena who had two yellow cards from previous World Cup qualifying games and was thus ineligible to play in Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane last Friday.
Mokoena was booked in Bafana’s 2-1 win against Benin in their group C opener in Durban on November 18 2023, then again in the 3-1 win against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein on June 11 last year.
Since Lesotho did not protest the inclusion within the FIFA two hours deadline and did not report the infraction to the match commissioner, South Africa is likely to get away with the error.
South African won against Benin Republic Cheetahs Tuesday bring their points haul to 13. Rwanda are second with eight points and goal difference better than Benin Republic who are also eight points. Nigeria have seven points, while Zimbabwe remain rooted to the bottom spot.
