By Boluwatife Kehinde
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has rejected reports suggesting that FIFA has cleared South Africa of wrongdoing in the ongoing controversy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The issue erupted after Teboho Mokoena was fielded against Lesotho despite having accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the campaign, an offense that, under FIFA regulations, should have triggered an automatic one-match suspension. South Africa went on to win that match 2-0, but Lesotho promptly lodged a formal protest demanding that the result be overturned and a 3-0 victory awarded in their favor.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, NFF’s Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, dismissed suggestions that FIFA had issued a ruling.
According to him, what some outlets were reporting stemmed only from a post on FIFA’s X (formerly Twitter) account and not an official communiqué.
“There has been no official communication to that effect. What people are reporting is a tweet on their (FIFA) X account. We don’t regard that as official communication,” Olajire said.
Six months since the protest was filed, FIFA is yet to release a formal decision. The prolonged silence has created uncertainty in CAF’s Group C standings, with significant implications for qualification. If FIFA upholds Lesotho’s protest, South Africa would be stripped of three points while Lesotho would be awarded a default win. On the other hand, if the complaint is deemed invalid or procedurally flawed, Bafana Bafana would retain their 17 points and escape punishment.
For Nigeria, the situation adds further intrigue to their qualification campaign. The Super Eagles remain under pressure to deliver maximum points in their remaining fixtures: an away tie against Lesotho at Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein, on October 10, followed by a decisive home clash against Benin Republic in Uyo on October 16.
As the wait for FIFA’s verdict drags on, Group C remains delicately poised, with every point potentially decisive in the race to the 2026 World Cup.
