South Africa strengthened their grip on the top spot in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers with a 2-0 win over Benin Republic in Abidjan on Tuesday.
Despite the looming threat of a potential points deduction for fielding an ineligible player in their previous game, South Africa remained focused and delivered a solid performance.
The match saw goals from Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams in the second half, securing the three points that put Hugo Broos’ side in a commanding position.
The potential points deduction stemmed from their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday, where midfielder Teboho Mokoena was fielded despite being ineligible due to accumulating two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers.
According to FIFA’s rules, players who receive two yellow cards in different matches are automatically suspended for the following match, which led to the controversy.
Although there was the possibility of a protest from either Lesotho or Nigeria—both of whom are in pursuit of South Africa in the standings—FIFA’s strict protest timeline meant that any such challenge could be dismissed if not filed correctly and promptly.
