Word Cup Qualifier: FIFA Gives Nigeria World Cup Lifeline After Sanctioning South Africa

• The decision drops South Africa to 14 points, giving Nigeria fresh hope of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with two games left.

The world football governing body, FIFA, has slammed South Africa with a heavy sanction for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.

South Africa had celebrated a narrow 1-0 win in the March 21 match, but FIFA on Monday declared the result void, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory instead. The South African Football Association (SAFA) has also been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena escaped with only a warning.

The ruling means South Africa’s points tally drops from 17 to 14, leaving them tied with Benin but behind on goal difference. Nigeria, now on 11 points, sees a renewed chance of qualification with two matches still left to play.

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FIFA cited breaches of Article 19 of the Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations, stressing that even one case of fielding an ineligible player automatically leads to forfeiture.

For Lesotho, the paper victory is a massive boost to their qualification hopes, while the sanction serves as a warning to all African federations about the dangers of administrative lapses.

The ruling has dramatically reshaped Group C, throwing the battle for qualification wide open.