Former Nigeria international, Sam Sodje, has said he is embarrassed by the way some Nigerian fans are celebrating South Africa’s three-point deduction by FIFA[1].
FIFA recently punished Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their World Cup qualifier against Lesotho. The sanction saw South Africa lose three points and have their goal difference reduced from +2 to -3.
While many Nigerian fans rejoiced at the news, hoping it would boost the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying, Sodje told Soccernet.ng that such excitement was shameful.
“It’s nice to see FIFA doing what they have to do. South Africa broke the rules and lost three points—that’s normal,” Sodje said. “But Nigerians treating this as big news is embarrassing. A football nation like Nigeria shouldn’t be celebrating another country’s punishment.”
The former Brentford and Charlton defender argued that the Super Eagles should not rely on off-field decisions to reach the World Cup.
“With the kind of players we have, we should be earning qualification on the pitch,” he added. “Depending on other people losing points is not the standard for Nigeria. Hopefully, we can learn from this and avoid such situations in future.”
Despite South Africa’s setback, Group C remains very tight, with Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, and Lesotho all still fighting for a place. The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games to stand any real chance of qualification.