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South Africa face the possibility of losing three crucial points in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers after fielding an ineligible player in their 2-0 win over Lesotho last Friday.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers, played 82 minutes in the match despite FIFA’s rule that a player must serve a suspension after receiving two cautions in different games.
According to FIFA regulations, a protest must be filed within two hours of the match and followed up within 24 hours for it to be considered. If upheld, Lesotho could gain three points, boosting their tally to eight, while Nigeria, currently on six points, could benefit significantly in the race for an automatic qualification spot.
South Africa remain top of Group C with 10 points, but with Benin (8 points), Rwanda (7 points), and Nigeria (6 points) closely behind, a potential point deduction could shake up the standings depending on Tuesday’s results.
