FIFA has released its latest list of disciplinary actions from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — and South Africa is not among the teams punished, despite growing complaints about the eligibility of midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
The four-page document, includes warnings and fines for various national teams, but makes no mention of South Africa, even though Nigeria and Benin had earlier filed formal protests.
What’s the issue?
Teboho Mokoena received two yellow cards during the qualifiers — first against Benin Republic in November 2023 and again against Zimbabwe in June 2024.
According to FIFA rules, any player who gets two yellow cards in different matches must miss the next game. But Mokoena still played in South Africa’s 2-0 win over Lesotho, raising questions about whether South Africa broke the rules.
If FIFA applied the rule strictly, South Africa could be stripped of three points from that win, which would be awarded as a 3-0 technical victory to Lesotho. This would reduce South Africa’s points in Group C from 17 to 14 — bringing them level with Benin and giving Nigeria (currently on 11 points) a better chance of catching up.
FIFA silent on South Africa, punishes others
While South Africa avoided any mention in the sanctions, other teams were not so lucky:
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Qatar received a warning on 4 June for misconduct by players and officials.
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Indonesia was warned over security issues at a qualifier.
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Argentina was fined $20,000 and given a two-match suspension for player misconduct in January.
Nigeria watching closely
For Nigeria, a potential points deduction for South Africa could be crucial. The Super Eagles still have two games left — against Lesotho and Benin — and are hoping to close the gap.
If South Africa loses points, Nigeria could move closer to second place in the group — or even challenge for one of Africa’s four best runners-up spots, which offer a backdoor route to the World Cup play-offs.
What happened with Equatorial Guinea?
The silence on South Africa contrasts sharply with how FIFA handled Equatorial Guinea earlier this year. The team was docked six points after fielding striker Emilio Nsue, who was ruled ineligible due to issues with switching nationality from Spain.
Their two wins were overturned, dropping them from second to fifth in Group H — a decision confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in May.
What’s next?
As things stand, South Africa keeps its lead in Group C and its path to the 2026 World Cup remains in its own hands. Nigeria and Benin, however, are still waiting to see if FIFA will revisit the Mokoena case.
With just two qualifiers remaining, any decision from FIFA could greatly affect the final standings — and possibly decide who goes to the World Cup in USA, Canada, and Mexico.