The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports that FIFA has cleared South Africa of wrongdoing in a player ineligibility dispute involving Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the federation had received no official communication from FIFA.
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“There has been no official communication to that effect. What people are reporting is a tweet on their (FIFA) X account. We don’t regard that as official communication,” Olajire said.
The controversy stems from South Africa’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, where Mokoena was fielded despite having accumulated two yellow cards in earlier matches; an infraction that ordinarily carries a one-match suspension. South Africa went on to win the fixture 2-0.
Lesotho immediately protested with FIFA, demanding the match be awarded in their favour as a 3-0 victory and that South Africa be docked three points.
More than six months later, FIFA has yet to deliver a formal verdict, leaving Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers clouded by uncertainty.
If Lesotho’s protest is upheld, South Africa will forfeit the match and three points, boosting Lesotho’s tally instead. However, if FIFA rules the protest invalid, South Africa will retain their 17 points from eight games and remain favourites to finish top of the group.
Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in Uyo on Tuesday kept the Super Eagles in fourth place with 11 points, level with Rwanda but behind Benin Republic (14 points) and group leaders South Africa.
The Super Eagles face Lesotho in Bloemfontein on October 10 before concluding their qualifying campaign against Benin Republic in Uyo on October 16.
