Nigeria’s slim hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup have gotten a boost after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho.
The incident is seen as a breach of Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations. Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee declared the match in question to have been forfeited by South Africa by a score of 3-0. SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA, while Teboho Mokoena has been issued with a warning.
Nigeria’s slim qualification chances
Following the deduction and award of the points to Lesotho, Nigeria, with 11 points, now sit only three points behind South Africa and Benin Republic, who jointly top the table on 14 points with two games left to play.
Rwanda are also on 11 points while Lesotho now have 9 points.
