Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been revived after FIFA sanctioned South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in their qualifier against Lesotho.
Teboho Mokoena featured illegally in the March 21 clash, which they won 2-0. FIFA has now awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win, cutting into Bafana Bafana’s points tally and reshaping the battle in Group C.
In its ruling, FIFA said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa v. Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition, thereby breaching article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations. Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited by the representative team of South Africa by a score of 3-0.”
South Africa were also fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena was issued a warning. The South African FA have ten days to appeal the decision.
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The sanction means Benin stay top of Group C with 14 points and a +4 goal difference, just ahead of South Africa who remain on 14 points but with +3. Nigeria and Rwanda follow closely on 11 points each, the Super Eagles edging second place on goal difference with +2 compared to Rwanda’s zero. Lesotho now have nine points, while Zimbabwe sit bottom with four.
For the Super Eagles, the ruling is a lifeline after their draw against South Africa earlier in the month almost condemned them to missing the World Cup for the second time in a row.
With two games left, they are within three points of the top two, wins in their remaining fixtures against Benin at home and against Lesotho in South Africa, while hoping that the Bafana Bafana slip will see the Eagles book a return to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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