South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos has acknowledged a costly mistake in fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena during Bafana Bafana’s recent World Cup qualifying fixture.

Mokoena, who had accumulated suspensions from earlier matches, was included in the squad and featured despite being ineligible to play. The oversight has triggered heated debate among fans, analysts, and football stakeholders across Africa, with FIFA and CAF yet to issue an official ruling.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Broos admitted that neither his technical team nor South Africa’s opponents, Lesotho, were aware of Mokoena’s suspension status at the time.

“If the decision is that we lose three points, then okay, we lose three points. But look at the rules—there was no complaint. Honestly, we didn’t know Mokoena was suspended, and Lesotho didn’t know either,” the Belgian coach said.

He further questioned the fallout from the incident, referencing Nigeria’s position in the group standings.

“What is Nigeria doing now? There was no complaint. Why should we start doubting, being worried, or afraid? We got a good result in Nigeria, and we won in Benin. If it’s like that, we’ll fight on the pitch.”

Despite the uncertainty, South Africa remains top of Group C with 13 points, while Nigeria trails in fourth place with 7 points as the qualifiers enter a decisive phase.