Group C leaders in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, South Africa, face a potential three-point deduction after fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday.
The controversy surrounds midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers. He was first booked in South Africa’s 2-1 win over Benin in November 2023, receiving a caution in the 54th minute.
He received another yellow card in the 52nd minute during their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024. Despite these bookings, Mokoena started against Lesotho and played 82 minutes before being substituted.
According to FIFA’s regulations, players who receive two yellow cards in different matches are automatically suspended for the subsequent game. FIFA’s rulebook states:
“If players or team officials receive two cautions in one match (in matches decided by penalties) or in two different matches of the competition, they will be automatically suspended from their team’s subsequent match.”
A protest from Nigeria or Lesotho—who are currently four points behind South Africa—could lead to a disciplinary decision. However, FIFA may reject any challenge if it was not filed within the required timeframe.
The governing body specifies, “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.”
If the protest succeeds, Lesotho, currently fifth in the group with five points, could be awarded three points, taking them to eight. This scenario would also benefit Nigeria, potentially allowing them to overtake South Africa depending on other results.
As it stands, South Africa lead Group C with 10 points, followed by Benin with eight, Rwanda with seven, and Nigeria in fourth place with six points after five matches. South Africa will next face Benin in Abidjan, a crucial match that could impact the group standings significantly.
