Bafana won't lose points

Focusing now on Nigeria as SA seek to seal World Cup qualification

- By Kgomotso Mokoena

No points will be deducted from SA for fielding ineligible Teboho Mokena in a Fifa World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.

Well-placed Safa insiders have revealed that world football mother body Fifa never treated the Mokoena saga as a bona fide protest, but a mere complaint, because, Lesotho, failed to follow procedure and tick the boxes in accordance with the rules of the game.

After obliterating Lesotho 3-0 on Friday night, Bafana are on top of Group C in the qualifiers with 16 points after seven matches. They face Nigeria on Tuesday in a match that could seal qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Lesotho protested after reports emerged that Bafana Bafana had fielded the ineligible Mokoena, who was on two yellow cards, in the match that SA won 2-0 in Polokwane in March.