South Africa could lose their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after fielding Teboho Mokoena, who was ineligible due to accumulated yellow cards. Mokoena had been cautioned twice before the match—against Benin in November 2023 and Zimbabwe in June 2024—yet still played in last week’s fixture.

If FIFA rules against them, South Africa’s Group C lead would shrink from 10 to 7 points, while Lesotho would move up to 8 points. A similar incident saw Nigeria forfeit a match in 2017 after fielding an ineligible Shehu Abdullahi, resulting in a FIFA ruling that overturned their draw against Algeria into a 3-0 defeat.

Mokoena received the yellow cards, one in the 54th minute against Benin on Match Day 1 and another in the 52nd minute against Zimbabwe on Match Day 4—Mokoena should have been suspended for the game against Lesotho but still played. These yellow cards are still recorded on the FIFA portal.

It's crucial that the NFF and CAF/FIFA are informed, as this could benefit the Super Eagles.

This situation mirrors what happened in 2006 when Rwanda faced a similar issue. The NFF acted, but CAF played politics, claiming we acted too late. 

The NFF must take decisive action this time!

However, the Super Eagles should remain focused on their own games and not allow this to be a distraction.