Boluwatife Kehinde
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has voiced its profound dissatisfaction with FIFA’s recent ruling to deduct three crucial points from the national soccer team, Bafana Bafana.
This decision comes at a pivotal moment as the team currently holds the top position in Group C of the qualifiers, sharing the spotlight with rivals Benin Republic and Nigeria.
The controversy arises from a Group C qualifier match against Lesotho, played on March 21.
Initially, Bafana Bafana celebrated a convincing 2-0 victory; however, it has now come to light that the team fielded Mokoena, a player suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. This oversight has sparked serious repercussions for the team’s standing.
As a direct result of this ruling, South Africa’s once-comfortable six-point lead over Nigeria has now been slashed to a mere three points, complicating their path to qualification. Additionally, Benin Republic has capitalized on this development, climbing to the top of the group solely based on goal difference.
In their official statement, SAFA expressed, “We are deeply disappointed with this unprecedented outcome, particularly regarding the nature of its delivery by a single-member panel, which was conducted without providing reasons or allowing our association the opportunity to present legal arguments.”
The association has taken a proactive stance, formally requesting a detailed written clarification of the ruling and announcing their intentions to file an appeal with the FIFA Appeals Committee within the ten-day timeframe mandated by FIFA’s disciplinary regulations.
Amidst this turmoil, South Africa’s national team is resolutely focused on upcoming challenges as they prepare to secure victories against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, both matches scheduled for October.
Meanwhile, the Benin Republic, now poised to take advantage of this unexpected turn of events, is set to host Rwanda in their next encounter before preparing for a critical clash against Nigeria.
Nigeria, too, understands the urgency of their situation as they must overcome Zimbabwe in their forthcoming match to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the tournament.
