The heavy cloud of uncertainty over Nigeria’s chances of making it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup seems to be having a silver lining.
This follows the admission of a top South African football administrator Dennis Mumble that negligence by South Africa Football Association SAFA officials led to the oversight which saw an ineligible player – on account of earning two cautions -Teboho Mokoena feature against Lesotho.
The South African football stakeholder and former SAFA Chief Executive, Dennis Mumble laid it bare saying it was serious negligence on the part of the Rainbow nation’s football authorities not to have dropped Mokoena from the Matchday squad against Lesotho.
In an interview granted a South Africa Broadcasting Corporation SABC journalist on the matter monitored by ait_online, Dennis Mumble said the responsibility to ensure there are no such lapses is usually on the shoulders of two individuals including the Head of Delegation who keeps records of those who do not meet requirements for inclusion in the Matchday contingents.
He noted that if the template was still the same at SAFA today as it was in his time as CEO, it will be clear where the blame for the error of including the 28 year-old Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder in the Polokwane encounter should go.
“It is usually the responsibility of two people, one of which is Head of Delegation who had a form attached to his reports where players’ disciplinary records are captured so as to guide the Federation in matters like this”
Speaking further in a no holds barred manner, Mumble who served as Club Licensing Instructor for the Confederation of African Football – 2015-2017 said the final decision however is FIFA’s to take.
” Even though Lesotho failed to register a protest within the stipulated time, FIFA rules are clear on these situations as the World football governing body has the powers to decide what punishments or sanctions to mete out in the end”
The position of Mumble, a respected voice in South African football would make an interesting read for Nigerians and Basotho- as people from Lesotho are called – with permutations intensifying in the race to qualify from Group C of the African Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
All parties including Lesotho who have filed a protest, Nigeria Football Federation expected to also protest as well as the defendants South Africa will be waiting with bated breath for FIFA to take a decision ahead of the next round of games in September.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
