Benin Republic coach Gernot Rohr has urged FIFA to do the needful by deducting three points from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
A possible points deduction hangs over the team after Mokoena featured in their 2-0 win over Lesotho. The 28-year-old should have been serving a suspension in that game after receiving a yellow card in their opening clash against Benin and another against Zimbabwe.
Speaking with Reuters, Rohr stated that he expects FIFA to have taken action against South Africa.
Read Also:2026 WCQ: Lookman, Dessers Arrive Super Eagles Camp In Uyo
“It is not normal that we don’t know the situation about the points on the log table before our games this week,” he said.
“It is very, very strange. Normally, SA should lose three points, and they [the points] should go to Lesotho. But nobody knows why they [FIFA] did not take this decision.”
Recall that Bafana lead the standings with 13 points, five ahead of Rwanda and Benin and six ahead of Nigeria, whom they host in a crunch game in Bloemfontein next Tuesday. Lesotho have six points, and Zimbabwe sit last on four.
4 Comments
Rohr should know. His team then (Nigeria) was debited 3 points in 2018 for exact same offense.
Lesotho and Zimbabwe should keep pushing the COSAFA agenda with their brother, Nigeria, and Benin are going to mount serious pressure on CAF and FIFA. We’re ready to take this to CAS.
I know FIFA will at the end of the day deduct 3 points from S/Africa, but I’m just surprised that it’s taking them that long. The group table, as it stands now, does not reflect its true state, especially with respect to the South Africans.
I think the whole pic will become clearer by the end of next week Tuesday.
Latest reports say Lesotho are threatening that if SA fields Mokoena on Friday, they would officially protest against FIFA.
What a lame game they’re playing.
Of course, SA will not field him. But it goes to show Lesotho and SA know something (probably communicated to them by FIFA when they requested clarity on the situation) that Nigeria and Benin don’t know yet.
My guess is that they were told Lesotho was the only country with the locus standi to protest, and since they ignored this, it won’t be upheld. And to save face now, Lesotho is making a threat on the eve of the return match.
SA sports lawyers are already saying Nigeria has no locus standi to lodge a complaint cos the match was not directly against us. What a load of baloney! Algeria didn’t even lodge a complaint when FIFA docked us maximum points in 2018.
Caf and fifa president are very close allies and they’re using this friendship to interfere with justice system. Make Naija first win then we can further this conversation. As for Ekong and co let them do the talking on pitch because we don hear promise tire and no be today.