By Obinna Uballa
Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup received a major boost on Monday after the world football governing body, FIFA, deducted three points from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled that midfielder Teboho Mokoena was not eligible to play in the preliminary qualifier between South Africa and Lesotho on March 21, 2025.
According to the committee, the South African Football Association (SAFA) breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the 2026 World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations. Consequently, the fixture was forfeited in favour of Lesotho, with a 3-0 scoreline awarded.
In addition, SAFA was fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena received an official warning. The ruling, formally communicated to the parties on Monday, remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
Before the sanction, Hugo Broos’ men topped Group C with 17 points from eight matches, three points ahead of Benin. But with the deduction, South Africa has now slipped behind the Squirrels, who moved to first place following their 2-0 win against Lesotho.
The development has opened up Group C and rekindled Nigeria’s hopes of securing a qualification spot for the 2026 World Cup, with the Super Eagles now back in strong contention with 11 points.
