It’s been a compelling and chaotic week of international football across Africa, with the World Cup qualifying campaign hotting up, headlined by South Africa fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho.
With four gameweeks still to play, nothing’s been decided yet, but the nine groups are taking shape with subplots aplenty on the road to USA-Canada-Mexico 2026.
What on earth have South Africa done?!
Are we witnessing the greatest self-sabotage in the history of African World Cup qualification?
Certainly, South Africa’s ‘administrative error’ during the last round of matches may go down in infamy if, indeed, it results in Bafana Bafana missing out on the tournament.
A home game against lowly Lesotho – ranked 149th in the world – should be an absolutely guaranteed three points for the southern African heavyweights. Indeed, the minnows have only ever won three World Cup qualifiers in their entire history.
However, the hosts unfathomably overlooked the two yellow cards previously received by influential midfielder Teboho Mokoena during the campaign, which should have ruled him out of the 2-0 victory over Lesotho.
Failing to realise this, Bafana started the Mamelodi Sundowns man, in an oversight that may end up costing them.
While Bafana coach Hugo Broos refused to comment on the error, Lesotho have got their eyes on the result being overturned and three points awarded in their favour. The federation have already made a formal enquiry to CAF and FIFA, and precedent dictates that a 3-0 victory will likely be awarded in their favour.
It’s a cataclysmic fumble by SAFA, painfully coming in a match they should comfortably have won without Mokoena, and it’s likely their five-point lead over Rwanda at the top of Group C will become a one-point advantage over Lesotho come the September internationals.
South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena shouldn’t have been on the pitch against Lesotho as he already had two yellow cards… Will this cost Bafana Bafana a World Cup place?
…and will Nigeria capitalise?
South Africa’s error could well prove to be a life-saver for their old foes Nigeria, whose first international break under new head coach Eric Chelle proved to be a mixed affair.
The Super Eagles first dispatched Rwanda 2-0 away in a solid if unconvincing display, but conceding a 90th-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 against hapless Zimbabwe in Uyo, having failed to add to Victor Osimhen’s late opener was an agonising setback for the West African giants.
Chelle’s would-be expansive game failed to materialise against a Warriors team who are yet to win in this qualifying programme, and it was the same old story of Nigeria failing to establish attacking patterns or a consist method of hurting opponents despite their wealth of attacking talents.
South Africa’s pair of victories leaves the Super Eagles six points (for now) behind Bafana Bafana with four to play – and a trip to Mzansi to come – although if Broos’s side were ‘awarded’ a 3-0 defeat after their Lesotho mishap, qualification would be back in the Super Eagles’ hands.
Chelle would likely need to ensure that the West Africans take maximum points from their outstanding four fixtures, but South Africa might have just breathed life into Nigeria’s World Cup prospects…at least more effectively than their new head coach.
ESPN