FIFA’s Delayed Decision on South Africa’s Rule Breach Sparks Concern
The month of October will witness the remaining couple matches to round off the First Round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, in Africa.
Tunisia and Morocco have all but sealed their places with two games to spare. However, there is a lot to play for elsewhere, as teams in the remaining 7 groups lock horns to decide their automatic qualifiers. Also, the battle to make the cut for the four playoff slots hots up.
Group C comprising South Africa, Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe is the most intriguing as the countries earnestly await FIFA’s decision on South Africa’s inappropriate use of Teboho Mokoena in their home tie against Lesotho.
Mokoena got a yellow card against Benin on Match Day 1, in November 2023. He received another yellow card in South Africa’s game with Zimbabwe on June 11, 2024. The rules state that if you are given two yellow cards, you get automatically suspended for the next game, which was against Lesotho. However, the 28-year-old did not serve his suspension.
Given the precedent, South Africa must face a 3-point and 3-goal deduction for failing to observe the suspension. The principle _Ignorantia legis neminem excusat_ – that ignorance of the law is no excuse – applies here, meaning South Africa’s lack of awareness or understanding of the rules will not exempt them from the consequences.
Here, Nigeria Premier Football League before every match days, reels off the names of suspended players to avoid embarrassment. How and why South Africa failed to realize that the player was ineligible against Lesotho is best known to them.
In the run up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria, despite already qualified had three points and three goals deducted from their tally for using a suspended player, Abdullahi Shehu in the ultimate match against bottom side Algeria.
It is now six months since South Africa’s gaffe yet FIFA has yet to hand them the necessary punitive measures. What is taking so much time, after all, disciplinary actions have been announced on pending cases involving Equatorial Guinea and Congo over established infractions?
FIFA appears showing favouritism towards South Africa. They approved Johannesburg, Durban, and Bloemfontein – all in South Africa – as home venues for Lesotho and Zimbabwe’s matches. Meanwhile, Lusaka, Zambia, a nearby option, was not approved.
If similar decisions were made for Benin, their matches would have been moved to Uyo hence, this raises questions about fairness and impartiality in FIFA’s decision-making.
As the last month of the qualifier beckons, FIFA must announce its decision immediately. What if whoever is on the receiving end of its ruling decides to approach the Court of Arbitrary for Sports? Time is really of essence.
