The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that it is closely monitoring FIFA’s ongoing investigation into South Africa for allegedly fielding an ineligible player in their 2–0 World Cup qualifying win over Lesotho.
The proceedings focus on South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who appeared in the match against Lesotho on March 21 this year, despite having accumulated two yellow cards in previous qualifiers, which made him ineligible.
NFF Secretary General, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, spoke following reports that FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against Bafana Bafana.
He emphasized that Nigeria, like the other teams in the group, is eager to know the outcome of the probe.
“All the teams in that group are very anxious to know the decision of FIFA regarding the issue of fielding a non-eligible player. We know that the rules are very clear, and FIFA has always maintained the ethical standards it is known for,” Dr. Sanusi said.
The investigation comes at a crucial stage in Group C, where teams are competing for direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has admitted the oversight, citing a communication failure regarding Mokoena’s suspension.
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If found guilty, South Africa could forfeit the match 3–0, resulting in a three-point deduction.
This would have a direct impact on Group C standings, where South Africa currently leads with 17 points, while Benin and Nigeria follow with 14 points and 11 points, respectively.
Only the group winner earns direct qualification to the World Cup.
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