South Africa’s national football coach, Hugo Broos, has raised concerns that external lobbying may have played a role in FIFA’s decision to deduct points from Bafana Bafana in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The punishment follows an administrative error in which midfielder Teboho Mokoena was fielded in a match against Lesotho in March, despite being ineligible due to accumulated yellow cards. FIFA ruled that South Africa should lose the match 3-0, along with a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs, while Mokoena received only a warning.
The controversial ruling has left Broos and his team shocked, particularly as it has resulted in South Africa dropping from first to second in Group C. The team is now tied with Benin, both on 14 points but trailing due to goal difference. The coach admitted that the fielding of Mokoena was a mistake, but his primary concern lies with the timing and circumstances surrounding FIFA’s decision.
Broos highlighted the unusual sequence of events leading up to the ruling, noting that the FIFA sanctions committee had met multiple times during the period in question, yet South Africa was never mentioned. He was perplexed when, just a day after the last meeting, the team received a letter notifying them that the case had been reopened, ultimately leading to the point deduction.
This sudden revival of the case has led Broos to suspect that behind-the-scenes lobbying may have influenced the outcome, although he refrained from naming specific parties. There is speculation that Nigeria, which stands to benefit from the decision, may have played a role in bringing the issue back to the forefront.
The decision has made Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup even more challenging. Broos’ side now faces the daunting task of winning their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda, while hoping that Benin drops points in their away fixtures against Nigeria and Rwanda.
Despite his frustration, Broos acknowledged that South Africa must accept the punishment and move forward, though he remains adamant that there is more to the decision than meets the eye. The controversy over Mokoena’s eligibility continues to cast a shadow over South Africa’s World Cup ambitions, as the team now has little room for error in their remaining qualifiers.
