Following a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), “Concerns were mounting among football authorities and supporters in South Africa” over the potential for a similar outcome in their own country.
The ruling “upheld FIFA’s decision to penalise Equatorial Guinea” for “fielding an ineligible player” during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Equatorial Guinea was “docked six points—three from each of their victories against Namibia and Liberia” after striker Emilio Nsue was “found to be ineligible to represent the national team at the time of the matches.”
Nsue, who scored the winning goals in both games, did not have the “necessary clearance to switch his international allegiance from Spain,” which led FIFA to “declare his participation invalid.”
The ruling holds significant implications for South Africa, who may be “facing a similar fate.”
The South African Football Association (SAFA) is “subject to a FIFA investigation” for fielding Teboho Mokoena in a match against Lesotho, as he “should have been serving a suspension during that match.”
Should FIFA rule against South Africa, they “risk losing the three points gained from the win over Lesotho.”
Such a decision would “dramatically alter the landscape of Group C.” South Africa’s points would drop from 17 to 14, placing them level with Benin, while Nigeria, currently in third place with 11 points, could close the gap.
As the situation unfolds, South Africa is “left grappling with uncertainty.”
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