South Africa’s leading position in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers is under serious threat as they risk a points deduction for fielding an ineligible player. The controversy surrounds midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was part of the starting lineup during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday. Mokoena, however, had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers, making him ineligible for the match.
The Mamelodi Sundowns player received his first yellow card during South Africa’s 2-1 win over Benin Republic in November 2023 and another during their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024. According to FIFA’s qualifying rules, players who accumulate two yellow cards are automatically suspended for the next match. Despite this, Mokoena played for 82 minutes against Lesotho, putting South Africa’s 10-point lead in jeopardy.
FIFA’s rules are clear: any protest regarding player eligibility must be submitted within two hours of the match, with a full report to follow within 24 hours. Should Nigeria or Lesotho challenge the decision, the protests will only be considered if they were filed within this window. If successful, the offending match could result in South Africa losing the three points, which would see them drop to second place, potentially allowing Nigeria to overtake them in the standings.
Lesotho, currently fifth in the group with five points, stands to gain three points if the protest is upheld, moving them to eight points and further complicating South Africa’s road to automatic qualification. Meanwhile, the Benin Republic, with eight points, and Rwanda, with seven, are also closely monitoring the situation.
As the drama unfolds, South Africa’s clash with the Benin Republic in Abidjan on Tuesday could become even more critical in their fight for a top spot in Group C. Will this shocking eligibility error cost them the World Cup dream? Stay tuned!
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