South Africa's senior men's soccer side are anxiously awaiting a Fifa ruling after fielding an ineligible player in their win over Lesotho.
Bafana Bafana headed into the latest round of 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification in second place, trailing first-placed Rwanda on goal difference. Two victories later, the South Africans occupy the summit of Group C with 13 points to second-placed Rwanda's eight.
A 2-0 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane on Friday, followed by a win over Benin in Ivory Coast by the same scoreline, helped South Africa seize control of their group.
Bafana Bafana are bidding to book their ticket to the next edition of the soccer showpiece, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico in just over a year from now.
Looming sanction
Despite their impressive showings against Lesotho and Benin over the past week, the South Africans face uncertainty that may see their lead diminish significantly in Group C, with four matches still remaining.
Bafana Bafana fielded midfield maestro Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho on Friday, 21 March 2025. This despite the player being suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in the qualifiers -- an automatic one-match ban. Mokeona's two cautions came against Benin (in 2023) and Zimbabwe in mid-2024.
But Mokoena was present and...
