Bafana Bafana at Risk of Losing Points Despite Victory in World Cup Qualifiers

Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco strengthened their chances of securing spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with crucial home victories on Tuesday. Meanwhile, South Africa’s qualification hopes could take a major hit due to an eligibility controversy.

Bafana Bafana extended their advantage at the top of Group C in the African qualifiers with a 2-0 win over Benin. Goals from Lyle Foster in the 53rd minute and Jayden Adams in the 84th secured the victory, putting South Africa five points ahead of their nearest rivals.

However, their campaign is now under scrutiny. Reports emerged shortly after the match suggesting that South Africa may lose points from their 1-0 home win against Lesotho last Friday. The reason? Midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who played in that match, should have been suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in previous qualifiers.

In response, Mokoena was omitted from Tuesday’s squad against Benin, while South African football officials have remained silent on the issue. Coach Hugo Broos also refused to comment.

“I’m not commenting on the matter. It’s something that will be sorted out in the next week,” Broos stated.

Historically, teams that field ineligible players in African World Cup qualifiers have been penalized with points deductions.

South Africa’s main rivals in the group, Nigeria, also suffered a setback on Tuesday. They had taken the lead against Zimbabwe through Victor Osimhen’s 74th-minute diving header but conceded a stoppage-time equalizer from Tawanda Chirewa, ending the match in a 1-1 draw.

Tawanda Chirewa with excellent close control

Zimbabwe stun Nigeria with a late equaliser to give Bafana Bafana the advantage in Group C #SSDiski | #TotalEnergiesWCQ2026 pic.twitter.com/pemAkmJske

— SuperSport Football (@SSFootball) March 25, 2025

With four games remaining, Nigeria now trails South Africa by six points, while Benin and Rwanda sit five points behind. Rwanda also dropped points after being held to a 1-1 draw at home against Lesotho.

In Group G, Algeria delivered an emphatic 5-1 win over Mozambique in Tizi Ouzou. Mohamed Amoura stole the show with a hat-trick, giving his side a three-point cushion at the top of the standings.

Egypt, meanwhile, edged out Sierra Leone 1-0 in Cairo, thanks to Ahmed Zizo’s goal just before halftime. The result sees the Pharaohs extend their lead in Group A to five points.

Morocco maintained their perfect record in Group E with a 2-0 triumph over Tanzania in Oudja. Nayef Aguerd broke the deadlock early in the second half before Brahim Diaz converted a penalty to seal the victory.

Cape Verde caused an upset with a 2-1 away win over Angola, with Dailon Livramento scoring twice. The result moved Cape Verde to the top of Group D, one point ahead of Cameroon, who secured a 3-1 home victory against Libya. Cameroon’s win was powered by a brace from captain Vincent Aboubakar and a goal from Bryan Mbeumo.

Elsewhere, the Democratic Republic of Congo clinched a 2-0 away win against Mauritania. Charles Pickel opened the scoring early, while substitute Fiston Mayele netted a late goal to propel DR Congo to the top of Group B. They now lead by one point over Senegal, who earned a 2-0 victory against Togo. Pape Matar Sarr scored the opener before an own goal sealed Senegal’s win.

The African World Cup qualifiers will resume in September with two more rounds of fixtures, followed by another set of matches in October.

At the conclusion of the qualifiers, the nine group winners will earn automatic spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The four best second-placed teams will compete in a playoff, offering one additional African team a chance to qualify for the tournament in North America.

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Sourced:Times Live