The South African Football Association (SAFA) has accepted FIFA’s decision to deduct three points and three goals from their tally after fielding an ineligible player in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho.
Teboho Mokoena, who should have been suspended due to accumulating two yellow cards in previous matches, played for more than 80 minutes in the game—an oversight that has now proven costly.
A SAFA official revealed that they have been in contact with FIFA and have accepted the penalty, expressing regret over the mistake.
“We (Bafana) have to win all the points that we have to play for going forward, and that’s all, to ensure that the team qualifies,” a well-placed source said.
“An error was made, and we can’t be pointing fingers at individuals right now what happened has happened, and we can’t go back. Those points are gone, as tough as that is to accept, but there are more to play for to ensure qualification. An announcement is pending.”
The deduction will drop South Africa’s points from 13 to 10, shrinking their lead over Rwanda—from five points to just one. Meanwhile, Lesotho will move up to second place with nine points.
Importantly, Nigeria, regarded by many as South Africa’s main competitors in the group, will close the gap to just three points ahead of their upcoming clash in Johannesburg later this year.
