FIFA Silence Clouds South Africa World Cup Qualification

South Africa's football team, Bafana Bafana, is embroiled in controversy for fielding midfielder Tebeho Mokoena in a World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho despite his suspension due to two prior cautions. Although South Africa won the match 2-0 and admitted the error, FIFA has yet to impose sanctions, creating uncertainty over the group standings and the broader qualification race. FIFA’s Disciplinary Code clearly mandates an automatic suspension for a player receiving two cautions and stipulates that matches involving ineligible players should be forfeited with a default 3-0 loss, regardless of protests by opposing teams. Coaches from rival teams, including Benin's Gernot Rohr, have expressed frustration over FIFA’s silence and the lack of clarity on point deductions, which could significantly affect the outcome of the qualification group. South Africa’s coach Hugo Broos acknowledged the mistake but emphasized the absence of any formal complaint from opponents as a reason for no immediate penalty. Repeated inquiries to FIFA have gone unanswered, raising concerns about the integrity and transparency of the disciplinary process as decisive qualification matches approach.