Eric Chelle reacts to reports of FIFA sanctions for South Africa in World Cup qualifiers

• Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle has shared his thoughts connected the ongoing contented involving radical leaders South Africa fielding an ineligible subordinate during their World Cup qualifiers
• The Lesotho Football Association has filed a protestation with FIFA implicit Bafana Bafana fielding Teboho Mokoena
• The Crocodiles were defeated 2-0 by South Africa successful their CAF Qualification Group C lucifer past week

Eric Chelle declined to corroborate whether helium was alert that South Africa could look FIFA sanctions earlier Nigeria’s brushwood with Zimbabwe.

The Warriors held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw, with substitute Tawanda Chirewa canceling retired Victor Osimhen's extremity astatine the Godswill Akpabio Stadium connected Friday night.

Bafana Bafana presently apical CAF Qualification Group C with 13 points, portion Nigeria is successful 4th spot with 7 points.

Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle has reacted to the impending FIFA hammer connected South Africa. Photo by: Sia KAMBOU / AFP.
Source: Getty Images

Chelle says Nigeria focused connected Zimbabwe match

Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle said his squad was focused connected securing 3 points against Zimbabwe successful their World Cup qualifiers but fell abbreviated of the goal.

According to AllNigeria, the 47-year-old mentioned that if South Africa is deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player, Nigeria could decorativeness 2nd successful the radical by winning their remaining matches.

The erstwhile Mali manager added that his players person been fantastic during the qualifiers and merit a spot astatine the 2026 World Cup. He said:

"I bash not privation to archer you astir the incidental betwixt South Africa and Lesotho. I said yesterday we are focused connected our crippled against Zimbabwe, truthful this is wherefore I talked to my guys aft their encounter."I americium trusting them, and possibly if Bafana Bafana loses 3 points, the past crippled is against Rwanda, truthful we tin walk this squad and aft that we person a crippled against South Africa."I told the players to look guardant to 2nd place. They did a large occupation during the 10 days, truthful they merit this qualification."

The Super Eagles' World Cup run suffered a large setback with their 1-1 gully against Zimbabwe successful Uyo.

Galatasaray guardant Victor Osimhen enactment Nigeria connected the scoresheet successful the 73rd infinitesimal earlier being replaced by Bayer Leverkusen prima Boniface.

Zimbabwe compounded the Super Eagles' woes, scoring an equaliser successful the 90th infinitesimal from substitute Tawanda Chirewa.

Nigeria beryllium successful 4th spot with 7 points aft six matches per TnTSports.

Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle plans to decorativeness 2nd successful the CAF Qualification Group C pursuing the awesome show of Victor Osimhen. Photo by: Visionhaus.
Source: Getty Images

Lesotho constitute to FIFA

The Lesotho Football Association (LFA) has confirmed it has sent a query to FIFA implicit South Africa fielding an ineligible subordinate successful their World Cup qualifiers past week.

According to SouthAfrican, Bafana Bafana featured Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena, violating FIFA regulations owed to accumulated yellowish cards.

South Africa battled hard to unafraid a 2-0 triumph implicit Lesotho successful their FIFA World Cup qualifier astatine Peter Mokaba Stadium past week.

Mokoena received his archetypal yellowish paper against Benin Republic successful November 2023 and his 2nd against Zimbabwe successful June 2024, arsenic reported by Sportwire.

LFA Secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi insisted that South Africa violated the regularisation and should beryllium punished.

Mohapi added that helium was informed the Nigeria Football Federation has filed a protestation to FIFA regarding their presumption successful the radical standings. He said via Sowetanlive:

“The question is, was a regularisation broken? If yes, we are afloat entitled to protestation and get the points. "We were made alert of Mokoena’s bookings and we person since sent a ceremonial enquiry to CAF and Fifa.“We person heard that Nigeria besides wants to protest, and they excessively are entitled to that. Suppose it was america who fielded a defaulter and got the points, Bafana would person done the same.”

South Africa fans react

Legit.ng earlier reported that Bafana Bafana fans person pointed fingers astatine Nigeria for their existent troubles.

One instrumentality claimed the South African squad was "bewitched" by Nigeria, portion different blamed the incompetence of the method crew.

A 3rd instrumentality criticised the South African media for utilizing the quality of the ineligible subordinate to distract the squad up of their upcoming lucifer with Benin Republic.

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Source: Legit.ng