Table of Contents
- South Africa World Cup qualifier controversy comes at a bad time
- Bafana Bafana last played in the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa
- Coach Broos is working effortlessly to end South Africa’s 16-year wait to play in the 2026 World Cup
All eyes are on South Africa World Cup qualifier controversy following their match against Lesotho last week.
South Africa played against Lesotho on Friday, March 21 and won 2-0 to give them a lead in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
However, they flouted FIFA regulations.
About South Africa World Cup Qualifier Controversy
Teboho Mokoena who plays for Bafana Bafana is at the heart of this controversy. Mokoena played against Lesotho when he shouldn’t have because he was serving a one-match ban.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder earned two yellow cards in two matches against Benin and Zimbabwe. Thus, he shouldn’t have played in the Lesotho match where Bafana Bafana won.
Now, the South Africa World Cup qualifier controversy is all about calls for sanctions by FIFA. Lesotho wrote to the world football governing body, calling for sanctions against South Africa.
Bafana Bafana player Teboho Mokoena is at the heart of controversy involving South Africa in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo/Sports World Ghana
Mokhosi Mohapi, the secretary-general of Lesotho Football Association, said they have hope that FIFA will enforce all its regulations.
Mohapi said they are asking for FIFA to warn South Africa and dock them points from the victory. This, according to Mohapi, is a bold sanction for breaching FIFA rules in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifiers campaign.
He added that Lesotho’s calls for sanctions on South Africa have no malice as unpopular opinion states. The South African Football Association is yet to comment on the issue.
Mokoena and Bafana Bafana Troubles
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos withdrew Mokoena from his squad on Tuesday when they won 2-0 over Benin. Steering clear of South Africa World Cup qualifier controversy, Broos said that they would sort out the issue in the next seven days.
Lesotho registered their disgruntlement with South Africa 24 hours after their match in line with FIFA regulations. Broos is worried that his team will hang in the balance in the 2026 FIFA World qualifiers should FIFA deduct points.
So far, Bafana Bafana has a hope of playing in the 2026 World Cup for the first time in 16 years. The last time they played was in 2010, when they hosted the global football tournament.
Bafana Bafana last played in the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. Photo/Football Whispers
South Africa currently sits on top of Group C with 13 points, followed by Rwanda with eight points. In a likely scenario that Lesotho is awarded a three-point technical victory against South Africa, it will move to second place in Group C and just a point below South Africa.
Nigeria, which has six points with four matches remaining, would gain immensely from Lesotho getting a technical victory.
Bafana Bafana World Cup Dream
Meanwhile, Broos is under pressure following South Africa World Cup qualifier controversy. In 2023, he said that he would resign as Bafana Bafana coach if he failed to qualify the team for the 2026 World Cup.
He told South Africa Football Association not to fire him because he would resign before they even contemplated sacking him. One of the major wins his leadership has given the team are confidence and team focus.
The fact that South Africa sits at the top of Group C is not by luck. It’s Broos’ leadership in the picture. He has an undefeated streak in the last 13 matches.
He says that his biggest job for now is keeping his team focused and retaining momentum as they enter the next phase of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
