Nigeria and Benin have seen their hopes of capitalizing on a technical error by South Africa dashed as FIFA released the latest disciplinary sanctions for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, according to GOAL. The controversy centered on Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was mistakenly fielded against Lesotho despite being suspended due to prior cautions. The error sparked calls from Nigeria, Benin, and Lesotho for FIFA to dock South Africa points, potentially altering the group standings.
However, FIFA confirmed that no points would be deducted, partly because neither Nigeria nor Lesotho filed the official complaints required under the rules. With two rounds remaining in Group C, South Africa now only needs a point against Zimbabwe to secure qualification, marking their first World Cup appearance since hosting in 2010.
The development is a setback for Nigeria and Benin, who had hoped to exploit South Africa’s administrative oversight to close the gap in the standings. Bafana Bafana’s progression underscores the significance of formal procedures in international football and highlights the challenges teams face when relying on regulatory intervention to influence qualification outcomes.
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