By our reporter 4-8-2025
Nigeria Football Federation officials are hoping that world soccer governing body FIFA, sanctions South Africa for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho in a group B World Cup qualifier.
Though Lesotho did not protest after losing 2-0 to Bafana Bafana, Nigeria football officials drew attention of FIFA to the fact that Mokoena picked up two consecutive yellow cards in previous games and was thus ineligible to play against Lesotho.
According to OwnGoalNigeria.com reports, FIFA has served the South Africa Football Association a breach of the rules notification, which they acknowledged, and it remained to the be seen what action FIFA would take.
” FIFA communicated to South Africa already on the fielding of an ineligible player in Mokoena, and they accepted the charge. We (Nigeria) are waiting for the final decision on point deduction which will be delivered before the next round of games”, an NFF official was quoted as saying.
South Africa leads the group C qualifiers with 13 points, while Rwanda and Benin with eight points are ahead of Nigeria with seven points. If FIFA eventual deducts three points off South Africa, the group will remain contestable by the Super Eagles who would be hoping to bounce back in September when they play against Rwanda at home and Bafana Bafana away.