The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that FIFA has cleared South Africa of any wrongdoing in the ongoing player ineligibility dispute involving midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
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Ademola Olajire, NFF Director of Communications, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the federation had not received any formal communication from FIFA on the matter.
“There has been no official communication to that effect. What people are reporting is a tweet on their (FIFA) X account. We don’t regard that as official communication,” Olajire said.
South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are at risk of sanctions after Mokoena was fielded against Lesotho in a World Cup qualifier despite receiving two yellow cards earlier in the campaign, which, according to FIFA rules, should have resulted in a one-match suspension. South Africa won the match 2-0.
Lesotho filed a protest, requesting that FIFA award them a 3-0 win and deduct three points from South Africa. Six months on, FIFA has yet to issue a formal decision, leaving uncertainty in the CAF World Cup qualifying Group C standings.
If Lesotho’s protest is upheld, South Africa will forfeit the match and lose three points, while Lesotho gains a 3-0 victory. Conversely, if FIFA finds the protest invalid or incorrectly filed, South Africa will retain its 17 points.
Meanwhile, Nigeria must focus on securing victories in its remaining fixtures. The Super Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa on Tuesday, placing them second in the group with 11 points from eight matches.
Nigeria’s upcoming games include an away match against Lesotho at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on October 10 and a home clash against Benin Republic in Uyo on October 16.
Group C currently sees South Africa leading with 17 points, followed by Benin Republic on 14 points, while Nigeria and Rwanda are tied on 11 points. Lesotho and Zimbabwe sit at 6 and 4 points, respectively.
Nigeria may now need to win all remaining matches to secure direct qualification or rely on the play-off route.
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