Nigeria Recieves Boost as FIFA Opens Sanction Case Against South Africa- Ekohotblog

FIFA accuses SAFA of playing suspended Mokoena in World Cup qualifier.
⁠If guilty, South Africa could forfeit the Lesotho match, losing three points.
⁠Nigeria’s chances improve but still need wins in final two matches.

FIFA has officially launched disciplinary proceedings against the South African Football Association (SAFA) for allegedly fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena while he was under suspension during a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the charge relates to South Africa’s fixture against Lesotho, where Mokoena reportedly played despite being suspended for accumulating two yellow cards in previous qualifying games against Benin and Zimbabwe.

Concerns about this breach were initially raised by fellow Group C nations, including Nigeria, Benin, and Lesotho, who questioned why FIFA had not yet addressed the issue.

The allegations were made public one week after South Africa’s important 1-1 draw with Nigeria.

In a letter dated September 15, FIFA informed SAFA that it had violated several disciplinary rules by fielding a player who should have served a one-match suspension.

SAFA has been given until September 22 to respond to the charges.

If found guilty, South Africa could forfeit their match against Lesotho, resulting in a 3-0 victory awarded to Lesotho.

This would see South Africa lose three points, dropping their group tally from 17 to 14.

Such a decision would have major implications for the World Cup qualification race, enhancing Nigeria’s chances by bringing the Super Eagles within three points of the top two qualifying spots.

However, Nigeria would still need to win their remaining two qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin in October and depend on other results to secure qualification.