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S.Africa stripped of World Cup qualifying points over ineligible player

By Mark Gleeson

September 29, 20253:49 PM GMT+1Updated 7 mins ago



Soccer Football - World Cup - CAF Qualifiers - Group C - Lesotho v South Africa - Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa - September 5, 2025 South Africa's Teboho Mokoena celebrates with... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more

Summary

South Africa lose three points in World Cup qualifying battle

Benin take over top spot in Group C on goal difference

South Africa fined and defaulter Mokoena handed warning

CAPE TOWN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - South Africa have been stripped of three points in their World Cup qualifying campaign for fielding an ineligible player, denting their hopes of reaching next year’s finals.

FIFA said on Monday that its disciplinary committee had found South Africa guilty of playing midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a 2-0 home win over Lesotho in March when he should have sat out the qualifier after two cautions in previous Group C games.

Lesotho have been awarded a 3-0 victory, with South Africa stripped of the points and fined 10,000 Swiss Francs ($12,536.04), while Mokoena was given a warning.

We told the South Africans it is not yet Uhuru.

Benin will see their chances playing out in their favour as spoilers.
Eric Chelle and the NFF must get things right to thrash Lesotho in whatever ground away and also thrash Benin Republic in the last match in Nigeria or confirm that they(Eric Chelle and NFF) are incompetent.

Sorry, Rwanda on 11points will not do South Africa any favours. South Africa has played Benin Republic twice.

I hope Coach Eric Chelle gets it right with his choice of Central Defenders, Right and left wing attackers and allow Jerome Akor of Sevilla to start in both matches as an attacking midfielder.

It is still a tough one . It means Nigeria must win the remaining 2 matches and hope that both be in and south Africa lose all their matches

onatisi:
It is still a tough one . It means Nigeria must win the remaining 2 matches and hope that both be in and south Africa lose all their matches

Hope that South Africa does not beat Zimbabwe.Even a draw could be good tidings for Nigeria provided we win our remaining 2 matches with at least +7 goals difference for a future reason.

Cocony:
Hope that South Africa does not beat Zimbabwe.Even a draw could be good tidings for Nigeria provided we win our remaining 2 matches with at least +7 goals difference for a future reason.

Can we even vouch for this our eagles ? I think it is better to take our minds off them qualifying

It's quite unfortunate for Nigeria to find itself in this precarious situation; they have succeeded in turning the soccer-loving populace into emergency mathematicians. Everyone is now calculating the probability or the chances of the Super Eagles of Nigeria making it to the World Cup. This is incompetence at the highest level on the part of the players, coaches, and the NFF, Nigeria's football governing body. I wish Nigeria the very best in her quest for World Cup qualification.

jeffkennedy:
It's quite unfortunate for Nigeria to find itself in this precarious situation; they have succeeded in turning the soccer-loving populace into emergency mathematicians. Everyone is now calculating the probability or the chances of the Super Eagles of Nigeria making it to the World Cup. This is incompetence at the highest level on the part of the players, coaches, and the NFF, Nigeria's football governing body. I wish Nigeria the very best in her quest for World Cup qualification.

The bulk of the blame should be laid on NFF. If Eric Chelle could be given free hands as per player call-up with instructions on scouting as was between 1989-1993 for Clemens Westerhof leading to our global emergence at the time; we can re-emerge from seeming obscurity into glory. Don't forget Eric Chelle as Malian Coach comfortably beat South Africa not so long ago.