Three points, three nations, no money - let's get ready to grumble
Lesotho and Nigeria are having a strop over Bafana Bafana playing Mokoena. Safe employees haven't been paid this month. Just another day in African football
When are three points not three points? When you are a Nigerian football fan and your team are desperate to make the 2026 World Cup and the Super Eagles are snoring rather than soaring.
The story thus far: Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena was, apparently according to “reports” not supposed to play in the weekend’s 2-0 win against Lesotho as he had picked up two yellow cards in previous matches and was thus suspended. The Bafana team manager, not coach Hugo Broos, didn’t pick this up, which is another level of incompetence that fits in well with the hot, sticky mess that is Safa.
Two bookings? Hah, said Safa. We haven’t paid our employees’ salaries this month: “We are writing to inform you that, regrettably, we will not pay your salaries tomorrow,” read a letter from Safa chief executive, Lydia Monyepao on Monday. “Normally, your salaries are paid on the 25th of each month. However, due to a delayed payment from one of our partners, inevitably, we will also delay your salary payments. Unfortunately, at this stage we do not have adequate financial reserves to make up for this delayed payment. We have received a commitment from the partner that we will have our payment before 31st March 2025. Therefore, your March salaries will be paid by 31st March 2025.”
Fingers crossed, which is what all of Nigeria and South Africa will be doing to see about those three points. “Nigeria's hopes of a place at the 2026 Fifa World Cup are back in the balance after Zimbabwe netted a last-minute equaliser to leave the West Africans off the pace in Group C,” reported BBC Africa on Tuesday. “A diving header from Victor Osimhen had put the Super Eagles on the brink of a second successive victory, but on-loan Huddersfield forward Tawanda Chirewa stunned the home crowd in Uyo when he poked past Stanley Nwabali in the 90th minute. After six rounds of the 10-match group campaign Nigeria have slipped to six points behind leaders South Africa, who secured a 2-0 away win against Benin through efforts from Burnley striker Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams.
“Nigeria, who missed out on the 2022 finals in Qatar, are fourth in the group, a point behind Rwanda and Benin. Only the nine group winners will qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament next year.”
Depending on who you read, and there is a lot of “it is reported that” and “it is understood” in Nigerian media this week, which is code for “we just made this shit up”, Bafana have either dodged a bullet or Nigeria are shooting blanks. For the Guardian of Nigeria, hope springs eternal.
“Nigeria’s fledgling bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup got an unexpected boost, at the weekend, when South Africa allegedly fielded an ineligible player in their 2-0 defeat of Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium,” they wrote. “Before yesterday’s games, South Africa was leading Group C with 10 points following that victory against Lesotho. Benin Republic was second on eight points with Rwanda third on seven points. With six points, the Super Eagles were fourth, while Lesotho dropped to the fifth position after the defeat by Bafana Bafana.”
“According to reports (sigh),” said Vanguard, “South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena played in the match despite having accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers – one against Benin on matchday one and another against Zimbabwe on matchday four. Under FIFA and CAF regulations, a player who receives two yellow cards in separate matches must serve a one-game suspension. However, Mokoena featured for 82 minutes in the game against Lesotho, potentially violating this rule.”
“As reported by sportswire.co.za,” continued the Guardian, “although Lesotho FA had a 24-hour window to file a protest and initially failed to do so, they are now holding an emergency meeting, exploring ways to approach Fifa with an appeal, citing Mokoena’s ineligibility. As a cautionary measure, the South African Football Association (Safa) instructed the Bafana Bafana technical team not to field Mokoena in yesterday’s World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic.”
The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) On Tuesday “sent a query to Fifa on the issue” as “there’s uncertainty over whether Mokoena’s first yellow card was expunged at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations, but Fifa rules state clearly that bookings are accumulated ‘from round to round’, which would exclude the Afcon.”
“The question is, was a rule broken? If yes, we are fully entitled to protest and get the points. We were made aware of Mokoena’s bookings and we have since sent a formal inquiry to CAF and Fifa,” said LFA secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi. “We have heard that Nigeria also want to protest and they too are entitled to that because the result (last Friday) prejudices everyone. Suppose it was us who fielded a defaulter and got the points; Bafana would have done the same. Unfortunately, the law is the law and Safa should have known about the bookings. We have no hard feelings. We want those points.”
Everyone wants those points. Safa employees want to get paid. Let’s get ready to grumble.
