Nigeria demand action against SA for fielding Mokoena in FIFA World Cup qualifiers – ‘Three points are important’

Nigeria are pushing for FIFA to deduct Bafana Bafana three points for fielding an ineligible player in the ongoing 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

South Africa fielded inelligible Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended after accumilating two yellow cards, against Lesotho on March 21, a game they won 2-0 thanks to strikes from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams. However, the Crocodiles and the Super Eagles have been protesting the win, but the World Football Governing Body has not acted.

Chances are high that Group C leaders will be penalised for that mistake which the Nigeria Football Federation's Secretary-General, Dr. Muhammed Sanusi, insists is very important. Bafana Bafana play Lesotho on Friday, September 5, at the Free State Toyota Stadium, before tackling Nigeria four days later at the same venue.

The official insists, however, that it won't make any sense if Hugo Broos' men get deducted three points, but his team fails to fully capitalise on it.

What will three points do if we don't win your matches?

“We can’t rely on the deduction book, because that alone can not give us victory. What we know is that we must win our remaining. So, we must work towards winning all our matches, and that will, of course, ensure we qualify with our own efforts,” he told Sports 247.

“If we rely on FIFA to deduct South Africa’s points and we don’t win our matches, what can three points do for us?

“So, we just can’t rely only on the deduction of their three points, but we also know that they are very important to us,” Sanusi concluded.

Bafana Bafana top Group C with 13 points while Rwanda and Benin have eight each. Nigeria are fourth with seven, Lesotho fifth with six while Zimbabwe are at the bottom with just four points. All teams have played six games.