The world football governing body, FIFA, has remained tight-lipped about the possible punishment of South Africa for featuring an ineligible player in their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Instead, FIFA outlined the scenarios for South Africa's qualification, stating that they would secure a spot if they beat Nigeria and Benin fail to beat Lesotho.
Current Group C Standings:
South Africa: 16 points, leading the group
Nigeria: 10 points, currently in third position
The controversy surrounds midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was fielded against Lesotho despite accumulating two yellow cards in previous qualifiers, making him ineligible to play.
Nigeria, Benin Republic and Lesotho are unofficially protesting result, demanding a three-point deduction and a 3-0 defeat for South Africa.
While FIFA's silence on the matter has raised questions, the governing body's recent post on X highlighted the potential qualification scenarios for teams in Group C, including South Africa and Egypt.
The outcome of today's matches will significantly impact the standings.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun