South Africa’s quest to return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010 hit a potential snag despite a commanding 2-0 victory over Benin on Tuesday in their African 2026 World Cup qualifying Group C clash. The win, powered by goals from Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams, solidified Bafana Bafana’s position at the top of the group with 13 points—five ahead of rivals Rwanda and Benin. However, a brewing controversy over an ineligible player could see their lead slashed.
The issue stems from last week’s round-five match against Lesotho, where midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in South Africa’s victory despite accumulating two yellow cards—one from matchday one against Benin in 2023 and another from matchday four against Zimbabwe in 2024. Under FIFA rules, this should have triggered an automatic one-match suspension, barring him from the Lesotho game. A South African Football Association (SAFA) official, speaking anonymously to AFP, admitted the oversight, calling it “incompetence” by the team management.
FIFA’s disciplinary code mandates that protests over such breaches must be lodged within 24 hours of the match ending. While Lesotho Football Association secretary-general Mokhosi Mohapi confirmed to AFP that a “formal inquiry” had been sent to FIFA and CAF regarding Mokoena’s eligibility, he did not specify the timing. If the inquiry falls outside the 24-hour window, South Africa could escape punishment. However, a successful appeal by Lesotho could see them awarded the points, potentially lifting them to nine while reducing South Africa to 10 with four rounds left.
On the pitch, South Africa showed resilience against Benin. Despite dominating possession, it took 53 minutes for Burnley striker Lyle Foster to break the deadlock, converting a Fawaaz Basadien cross. Substitute Jayden Adams sealed the win six minutes from time, heading in an Oswin Appollis free-kick. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams also played a pivotal role, denying Benin’s Junior Olaiten with a stunning save.
Elsewhere in Group C, Nigeria’s hopes of closing the gap on South Africa faltered as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Zimbabwe in Uyo. Victor Osimhen’s 74th-minute strike was cancelled out by Tawanda Chirewa’s stoppage-time equaliser. Rwanda and Lesotho also shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Kigali, leaving the group standings tight behind South Africa.
In other qualifying action, Cape Verde stunned Angola 2-1 in Group D, with Dailon Livramento’s brace keeping them atop the table, while Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar scored twice in a 3-1 win over Libya. Egypt tightened their grip on Group A with a 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone, and Sudan’s Group B lead was dented by a 99th-minute equaliser from South Sudan in a 1-1 draw.
For South Africa, the focus now shifts to FIFA’s ruling on Lesotho’s inquiry. A favorable outcome would keep their five-point cushion intact, but any deduction could throw Group C wide open as the race for the 2026 World Cup intensifies.
