South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, may face disciplinary action for fielding Teboho Mokoena during their recent World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.
Mokoena had previously received yellow cards in consecutive matches: against Benin in the 54th minute and against Zimbabwe in the 52nd minute.
According to FIFA regulations, accumulating two cautions in different matches of the same competition results in an automatic suspension for the subsequent match. Therefore, Mokoena should have been ineligible to play against Lesotho.
Historically, FIFA has enforced strict penalties for such infractions. For instance, in 2016, Bolivia was found guilty of fielding an ineligible player, leading to the forfeiture of their World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Peru.
Similarly, Yemen faced sanctions for a comparable violation.
If FIFA determines that South Africa breached these regulations, potential consequences could include forfeiting the match against Lesotho and a points deduction.
Such a ruling would significantly impact South Africa’s standings in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, potentially benefiting rival teams like Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
As the situation develops, it’s advisable to follow official FIFA communications and reputable sports news outlets for the latest updates.
Credit: Usman Bature
