FIFA has sanctioned South Africa for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho, a ruling that has blown Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers wide open and handed Nigeria a lifeline.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee awarded Lesotho a 3-0 victory after South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in the March 21 qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, despite being suspended.
Bafana Bafana had originally won the game 2-0, with Mokoena playing 82 minutes, but he was suspended and should have missed the match after accumulating two yellow cards in earlier fixtures.
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