South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have potentially suffered a major setback due to an alleged administrative oversight involving key midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
The Siya crew has been reliably informed that Bafana are likely to be docked points for fielding Mokoena in their Matchday 5 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, despite the player reportedly being ineligible due to suspension.
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According to FIFA regulations, a player who accumulates two yellow cards in separate matches during the qualification campaign must serve a one-match ban.
Mokoena received cautions in the opening game against Benin (MD1) and again in the fourth match against Zimbabwe (MD4).
Despite this, he was named in the starting XI for the crucial Lesotho clash, which South Africa won 2-0.
Now, sources indicate that SAFA may have received official communication from FIFA or the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirming the penalty.
“We (Bafana) have to win all the points that we have to play for going forward, and that’s all, to ensure that the team qualifies," a well-placed source told the Siya crew, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“An error was made, and we can’t be pointing fingers at individuals right now – what happened has happened, and we can’t go back. Those points are gone, as tough as that is to accept, but there are more to play for to ensure qualification. An announcement is pending.”
This internal sentiment paints a grim picture for the national team’s qualification trajectory. Bafana currently top Group C with 13 points, narrowly ahead of Rwanda and Benin (8 points), while Nigeria is at the bottom with 7 points.
The potential forfeiture of the Lesotho match could see the 2-0 win overturned, awarding Mzansi’s neighbours three points instead.
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Should the deduction be confirmed, the implications are wide-reaching – not only on Bafana’s qualification path but also on the internal operations at SAFA, who may face scrutiny over how the oversight occurred.
Fans and stakeholders now await an official announcement, which is understood to be imminent.
