World Cup (Q): Benin coach Gernot Rohr urges FIFA to act on South Africa points deduction

Benin national team head coach Gernot Rohr has called on FIFA to enforce its rules and penalize South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

The German tactician is demanding that required three points and three goals be deducted from South Africa’s tally.

South Africa fielded midfielder Teboho Mokoena, an ineligible player, in the 2-0 win over Lesotho back in March. According to FIFA rules, Mokoena should have been serving a one-match suspension after accumulating two yellow cards in previous qualifiers.

Speaking to Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, Rohr called on FIFA to clarify the situation:

“I am calling on FIFA to make themselves clear on the points situation in our 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group as South Africa used an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifier, which means they must lose three points and three goals to the opponent of the said match, Lesotho.”

“With the remaining qualifiers set to begin soon, it is imperative, in the interest of fair play, for all the teams in our World Cup qualifying group to know where they legitimately stand, before we start to play. I am surprised that FIFA is taking too long to resolve what is a very straightforward matter. It should and must be resolved without further delay.”

FIFA have already communicated the infringement to the South African Football Association (SAFA), with an explanation on the penalty which will be a three point and three goal deduction. However, they are yet to take a firm stand because opponents Lesotho did not submit a formal complaint within the required timetable following the match.

This is not the first time Rohr has dealt with such a situation. As the former head coach of Nigeria, he experienced a similar fate when his Super Eagles team lost points for fielding a suspended player in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.

Now leading a Benin side that is a direct competitor to South Africa in a tightly contested Group C, Rohr is at the forefront of the campaign for fair play.

If South Africa points have points deducted, it could dramatically alter the landscape of Group C which also includes Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

Group C Table (7 of 10 matches played)

1. South Africa- 16 points
2. Benin- 11 points
3. Nigeria- 10 points
4. Rwanda- 8 points
5. Lesotho- 6 points
6. Zimbabwe- 4 points⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.