Nigeria Coach Speaks Out On Mokoena Case

The build-up to the decisive World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Bafana Bafana has been overshadowed by the ongoing controversy surrounding Teboho Mokoena’s case. 

Ahead of Tuesday's crucial match at Free State Stadium, which will determine a spot in the 2026 World Cup, Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle has spoken out, adding to the heated atmosphere.

The core of the issue dates back to a March match where Mokoena was reportedly suspended but played against Lesotho. Despite Lesotho discovering his ineligibility, they failed to lodge a formal protest within the required timeframe. 

This lack of action has left many in and around Nigeria feeling that FIFA has not adequately addressed the matter. While Chelle has stated his priority is on the game, his call for FIFA to “manage the issue very quickly” suggests the controversy is a significant distraction that needs to be resolved before the match can be seen as fair.

’FIFA MUST MANAGE IT QUICKLY’

“I’m just the coach, I lead my team, what happens around my team and around this game in terms of the yellow card [on Mokoena], there’s an organisation whose name it’s FIFA, they need to manage it,” said Chelle.

“Now, this is not my problem. My problem is my players first because they are focused. They want to play a great game here and I feel like, we have to think about our game, not about what happens around the game and around the story.

“But the reality if I can tell you, I think FIFA needs to manage it quickly.”