Former Nigerian international, Dimeji Lawal, has cautioned the Super Eagles not to get carried away by FIFA’s sanction against South Africa, stressing that the real challenge lies in their capability to win their remaining qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.
The world soccer ruling body, FIFA, on Monday docked South Africa three points and overturned their previous 2-0 victory over Lesotho after fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a preliminary qualifier on March 21, 2025. The disciplinary ruling awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win, while South Africa was fined CHF 10,000. Mokoena also received a formal warning from football’s governing body.
Speaking on the development, Lawal acknowledged the significance of the ruling but insisted that Nigeria’s qualification hopes depend on the Super Eagles’ performances in their last two fixtures.
“I don’t get excited about the sanction of South Africa because one thing is to get three points taken away from South Africa. Another thing is for us to be able to win our remaining games,” Lawal posited. “The bottom line is: can we win the last two games?
“That’s the question and this is the crucial part of it. I’m not so excited about removing South Africa’s points. What I am looking forward to is how we can prepare ourselves in a manner that we can win the next two games.”
Lawal, who represented Nigeria at both youth and senior levels before moving abroad to play in Spain, Belgium, and South Africa, emphasized that FIFA’s decision was expected given their long-standing stance on player eligibility.
“They won’t bend their rules at that level. They will not like to undermine their own regulations. So for sure when South Africa made that mistake, I knew they were going to forfeit the three points and three goals,” he added.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
