Olaleye Idowu
Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has reacted to news that South Africa could be punnished for fielding an ineligible player in one of their qualifying matches.
Nigeria’s hopes of going to the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada are now hanging in the balance following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday evening.
The Super Eagles gave away their 1-0 lead in the 90th minute of the game to settle for a draw in front of their fans in Uyo.
Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock with a trademark header in the 74th minute, only for Chelle’s side to concede a stoppage-time equalizer.
Nigeria could, however, benefit from the confirmation that Group C toppers, South Africa, fielded an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho four days ago.
Teboho Mokoena should not have played against Lesotho, having picked up two yellow cards during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mokhosi Mohapi, secretary-general of the Lesotho Football Association, confirmed that a formal inquiry regarding Mokoena has been sent to both FIFA and CAF.
Chelle said he was not going to bother himself with what happens in other teams, but his focus remains firmly on the performance of the Super Eagles.
He told reporters after the game against Zimbabwe, “I don’t want to tell you about that. I said yesterday that we are focused on our game, so this is why I talked to my guys after the game.
“I told them to look forward to second place. They did a great job during the ten days, so they deserve this qualification.
“I am trusting them, and maybe if South Africa loses three points, the last game is against Rwanda so we can pass this team, and after that, we have a game against South Africa.
“If it is true, we will see what happens in the coming days.”
If CAF upholds Lesotho’s appeal, they would move up to nine points, while South Africa’s tally could drop to 10.
