FIFA leaves South Africa in limbo in World Cup qualifying. What's going on?

The African World Cup qualifiers are among the most bewildering in international football. CAF has long struggled to set match dates, and now FIFA is adding fuel to the fire with its latest decisions.

Details: In March, South Africa faced Lesotho in a qualifying clash, claiming victory thanks to goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams. However, Teboho Mokoena featured in that match despite being suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

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According to the rules, Bafana Bafana should be handed a forfeit loss with a 0-3 scoreline. Yet, more than five months have passed and no official decision has been made. FIFA’s disciplinary committee has remained silent on Reuters’ inquiries about the reason for the delay or when a verdict can be expected.

Quote: “It’s abnormal that we still don’t know the points situation in the standings ahead of our games this week. It’s very strange. Normally, South Africa should lose three points, and those points should be awarded to Lesotho. But nobody understands why FIFA hasn’t made this decision,” said Gernot Rohr, head coach of Benin, who are currently second behind South Africa, in an interview with Reuters.