By Dayo Awoniyi
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has admitted that Bafana Bafana made a costly mistake by fielding an ineligible player in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier — an error that could see them stripped of three vital points in the race to the Mundial.
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who had already picked up two yellow cards in the series, was suspended and therefore ineligible to face Lesotho. Despite this, he featured in the game as South Africa ran out 2-0 winners.
“If the decision is that we lose three points, then okay, we lose three points,” Broos conceded, recalling his own rule-book shock. “Honestly, we didn’t know Mokoena was suspended, and Lesotho didn’t know either.”
The Belgian tactician, who famously guided Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title, stressed that his team would keep their focus regardless of FIFA’s ruling.
“Why should we start doubting, being scared or afraid? We got a good result in Nigeria and we won in Benin. If it’s like that, we’ll fight on the pitch,” he said.
As it stands, Bafana Bafana lead Group C with 13 points from six matches, but their position could be upended if FIFA confirms a sanction. Rwanda and Benin sit just behind on eight points apiece, while Nigeria are fourth with seven.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
