THE race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as football’s world governing body, FIFA, released its latest list of disciplinary sanctions from the ongoing African qualifiers with no mention of South Africa despite persistent protests from Nigeria and Benin Republic over the eligibility of star midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
The four-page document, obtained by News Point Nigeria Sports, detailed sanctions against several national teams, including Qatar, Indonesia, and Argentina, but failed to impose any penalty on the South African Football Association (SAFA) for allegedly fielding Mokoena while he was suspended.
Nigeria and Benin had lodged formal complaints accusing South Africa of breaching FIFA rules by allowing Mokoena to feature in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March 2025.
The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder had been cautioned twice earlier in the qualifiers, first during a 2-1 home win against Benin Republic in November 2023, and again in their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024.
Under FIFA regulations, two yellow cards in separate matches automatically trigger a one-match suspension.
Despite the apparent suspension, Mokoena played 82 minutes against Lesotho, prompting Nigeria and Benin to call for the forfeiture of the points and a 3-0 technical victory for Lesotho.
“If the rules were applied as written, South Africa would drop from 17 points to 14,” said a football analyst in Lagos, noting that the deduction could bring Benin level on points and reignite Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying.
FIFA’s newly published sanctions list contained no reference to South Africa, effectively leaving their position atop Group C unchanged.
Instead, the document confirmed a range of unrelated disciplinary actions: Qatar were issued a warning for misconduct by players and officials in June 2025, Indonesia received a warning over security lapses at a qualifying fixture and Argentina were fined $20,000 and had a player suspended for two matches for breaches earlier in January.
This omission has left Nigerian fans frustrated. “The rules must be applied equally. If Equatorial Guinea can lose six points for fielding an ineligible player, why is South Africa untouched?” asked a prominent Nigerian football journalist, Tobi Ladipo.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with 11 points, trailing South Africa (17 points) and Benin (14 points). With only two matches left to play, the Super Eagles’ margin for error has narrowed.
A successful appeal and points deduction for South Africa could reopen the group, giving Nigeria a realistic chance of grabbing one of Africa’s nine automatic qualification slots or fighting for one of the four best runners-up positions leading to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Victory in their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin, coupled with a favourable ruling, would significantly boost their chances of making it to the tournament in USA, Canada, and Mexico.
For now, FIFA has not issued any formal response to the protests, leaving the group standings unchanged. South Africa remain in control of their World Cup destiny, with qualification within touching distance.
