SAFA begs South Africans amid sports minister’s probe
The South African Football Association has apologised to their countrymen over the administrative lapse that could jeopardise their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, while the country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie has probed the body for their incompetence.
South Africa were hit with a three-point deduction by FIFA on Monday, six months after they fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during a Group C qualification match against Lesotho. Mokoena was supposed to be suspended, having picked up two yellow cards previously in the group stages. They won the game 2-0, but the result was overturned and Lesotho were awarded a 3-0 win.Although they have launched an appeal, the punishment cuts South Africa’s tally from 17 points to 14 points, dropping them to the second position in the table, while Benin Republic topple them as group leaders on goal difference.With two games to go in the series, SAFA remains confident that Bafana Bafana can still qualify for the World Cup.
“The Association emphasises its continued commitment to supporting Bafana Bafana in their qualification campaign,” continued the SAFA statement.“ The players and the technical team have worked extremely hard to reach this stage, and we remain focused on ensuring they secure maximum points in the matches ahead. “We apologise to the nation for this administrative oversight and will reflect on the steps to take at the conclusion of our qualifying campaign.”
In a statement, the minister also rallied support for Bafana Bafana, noting that SAFA’s incompetence will not go unpunished.“The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will lead a thorough investigation into the incompetence that led to this sanction. We are committed to uncovering the root causes of this failure and ensuring accountability. A comprehensive report will be compiled and shared with the public to provide clarity on this matter and prevent future occurrences.”
SAFA has said it will lodge a formal appeal against the three-point deduction with the FIFA Appeals Committee within the prescribed 10-day period under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.While they prepare their appeal and await the outcome, South Africa must win their last two matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda in October. The Benin Republic, who are the most likely team to benefit from the ruling, will host Rwanda in their penultimate game before visiting Nigeria, who also have Zimbabwe to beat in their penultimate game, in order to keep their hopes alive.
