The Super Eagles’ World Cup qualification hopes may have suffered a setback after Lesotho reportedly withdrew their complaint to FIFA regarding South Africa’s use of an ineligible player in their World Cup qualifier.
Lesotho had previously filed a petition with FIFA, claiming South Africa fielded Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their match against Lesotho while he was meant to be serving a one-match suspension due to accumulating yellow cards. There were suggestions that Nigeria’s football federation (NFF) might also file a complaint, as a three-point deduction for South Africa would benefit Nigeria’s qualification chances.
However, according to African journalist Micky Jnr, Lesotho has now decided to withdraw their complaint. Mokhosi Mohapi, the secretary general of the Lesotho Football Association (LFA), explained that after reviewing the regulations, they realized that the issue was time-barred, making it difficult to proceed.
“We realized that the issue of time bar would be an obstacle to us, so we decided to cancel it all,” Mohapi reportedly said. “There’s nothing financial about the enquiry we made at FIFA.”
When asked about possible future actions, he added, “Nothing from our side now except to wait on FIFA to communicate how it will deal with the solicited issue.”
South Africa May Avoid Punishment
According to FIFA regulations, complaints like Lesotho’s must be filed within 24 hours after the match. Since Lesotho did not submit their petition within this timeframe, South Africa may avoid punishment on a technicality. Additionally, South Africa’s decision to not field Mokoena in their next match against Benin Republic may further protect them.
Despite Lesotho’s withdrawal, the issue may still have ramifications. Mohapi had previously mentioned that four other nations, including Nigeria, were “prejudiced” by South Africa’s actions. This suggests that a potential point deduction could still impact the qualification chances of other teams in the group, including the Super Eagles, even if Lesotho has withdrawn their complaint.
