Has FIFA dismissed claims by teams in Group C of the 2026 World Cup African qualifying series that South Africa fielded an ineligible player in their game against Lesotho and therefore should forfeit three points and three goals from that game?

That is the question many stakeholders are asking following the football governing body’s recent post in its X handle, saying that the Bafana Bafana would qualify for the World Cup if they defeated Nigeria in yesterday’s game in Bloemfontein.

Lesotho and other teams in Group C protested South Africa’s use of Teboho Mokoena in the said game when he should have sat out the match after receiving two yellow cards in previous games.

But FIFA in its X handle, yesterday, stated: “Two more teams could secure @fifaworldcup 26 qualification today. Egypt will qualify if they beat Burkina Faso, while South Africa will qualify if they beat Nigeria, and Benin fail to beat Lesotho.”

Many stakeholders read the message as confirming that FIFA would not sanction South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in the game, while others said that it is without prejudice to the decision on the outstanding issue, which FIFA will determine later.

The Lesotho versus South Africa case is not the first time FIFA would be faced with a case of a team featuring an ineligible player in its African qualifying series.

In 2018, the world football ruling body deducted three points and three goals from Nigeria’s tally following the Super Eagles use of Shehu Abdullahi in their last qualifying game ahead of the Mundial held in Russia.

Equatorial Guinea and Congo had also been sanctioned for similar breaches, often resulting in altered group standings and disqualification from major tournaments.

If the tweet turns out to confirm FIFA’s decision on the latest case, it then means that South Africa will return to the World Cup for the first time since they hosted the Mundial in 2010, while Nigeria will then be left to fight to end as the second best team in Group C, which could earn it a play-off place as one of the best four runners up from the nine groups.

The winner of the African play-off will advance to the inter-confederation playoff to decide the final team to qualify for the World Cup.

The African qualifying series will end in October, with the final double gameweek. The African playoffs will hold in November 2025, while the inter-confederation playoffs will be held in March 2026.