By Mark Ogagan
The lingering dispute over South Africa’s illegal use of Teboho Mokoena (Pictured), against Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers could be laid to rest soon as FIFA has launched an investigation into the matter.
South Africa Football Association (SAFA) CEO, Lydia Monyepao, confirmed that FIFA has taken up the matter following months of silence.
“We’ve received communication from FIFA about the launching of the investigation into the Lesotho match and fielding of Teboho Mokoena,” Monyepao said at SafeHub in Jabulani, Soweto, at the Bafana announcement of Shield as their new sponsor.
“We are not really worrying about that. I think our focus is on making sure that Bafana get maximum points from their remaining two matches in October.
“Whatever happens, whether there’s docking of points or whatever you are saying out there, if we get six points in October, nothing else is going to matter. So it’s all about Bafana getting to the USA, Mexico, and Canada World Cup,” she said.
If found guilty, South Africa risks being docked three points, which could jeopardize their chances of automatic qualification to next year’s World Cup finals.
Being docked three points means the result will be potentially being overturned to a 3-0 loss for South Africa.
Currently, South Africa tops Group C with 17 points from eight matches. However, if FIFA were to dock the three points, they would be level with second-placed Benin, who have 14 points.
To secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup, Bafana Bafana will need to earn maximum points from their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda. A strong performance in these games is crucial to ensure their place in the tournament, regardless of FIFA’s final decision.
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