Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco edge closer to World Cup, while South Africa faces potential points deduction

JOHANNESBURG: Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco all strengthened their World Cup qualification hopes with home victories on Tuesday, while South Africa’s campaign faces uncertainty after fielding an ineligible player in a previous match.

South Africa secured a crucial 2-0 away win over Benin, extending their lead at the top of Group C by five points. However, their position is now in jeopardy following revelations that midfielder Teboho Mokoena played in last Friday’s win over Lesotho despite being suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.

In response, South Africa withdrew Mokoena from the squad for Tuesday’s match, with coach Hugo Broos declining to comment on the issue. If found guilty, South Africa could be docked the three points from their win over Lesotho, a punishment seen in past African qualifiers for similar infractions.

Despite the controversy, South Africa may still benefit from their rivals’ misfortunes. Nigeria, their closest challenger, conceded a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe, giving South Africa some breathing room at the top of the group. However, the final standings could be significantly impacted by the ruling on Mokoena’s eligibility.