Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has joined growing calls for FIFA to deduct points from South Africa after Bafana Bafana allegedly fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during their 2-0 win over Lesotho in the March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Mokoena, a Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, had reportedly accumulated two yellow cards in previous matches, which should have rendered him suspended for the game against Lesotho. South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, has since expressed frustration over what he termed an administrative oversight.
Rohr, now coach of Benin Republic, referenced Nigeria’s 2018 case where the Super Eagles were penalized after fielding Shehu Abdullahi in a similar situation—even though Nigeria had already qualified.
“FIFA must be consistent,” Rohr stated. “In 2018, no one saw the point deduction coming for Nigeria, yet it was applied. I expect the same treatment for South Africa.”
FIFA has yet to release an official statement on the matter, leaving the African football community in suspense as the next round of qualifiers approaches.
