South Africa’s path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be in jeopardy due to a yellow-card controversy involving midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
According to reports, Mokoena may have been ineligible to play in Bafana Bafana’s Matchday 5 fixture against Lesotho, a situation that could have serious consequences for their qualification campaign.
Mokoena received yellow cards in South Africa’s opening match against Benin (MD1) and their subsequent game against Zimbabwe. Under FIFA regulations, a player who accumulates two yellow cards in separate matches must serve a one-game suspension. This means Mokoena should have been ineligible for the Lesotho clash.
Despite this, he was included in the starting lineup and played 81 minutes before being substituted. If confirmed, this would constitute a breach of FIFA’s qualification rules, potentially leading to a points deduction for South Africa.
Bafana Bafana currently lead Group C with 10 points, followed by Benin (8 points), Rwanda (7 points), and Nigeria (6 points). A points deduction could not only strip them of their top spot but also intensify the competition for automatic qualification.
Should FIFA enforce the suspension rule, South Africa may forfeit the three points from their 2-0 victory over Lesotho, significantly altering their World Cup qualification hopes.
