Former NFF Technical Committee chairman, Barrister Chris Green, has criticized FIFA for what he described as an “unfortunate” delay in addressing South Africa’s breach of player eligibility rules related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Seven months after the incident, FIFA announced that it had launched disciplinary proceedings against the South African Football Association (SAFA).
In South Africa’s WCQ against Lesotho, the midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in the 2–0 victory on March 21, despite his suspension.
The case has drawn widespread attention across the continent, with many stakeholders questioning the governing body’s handling of the matter.
Reacting in an interview with Brila.net, Green said the delay in reaching a decision was both worrisome and damaging to the integrity of the qualifiers.
He stressed that such an issue, which directly affects group standings, should have been resolved swiftly.
“It’s quite unfortunate, and I think it’s also worrisome and surprising that an issue of this nature was not addressed or resolved in time, knowing that football is an ongoing competition which affects even the very next game,” Green said.
“This is something that shouldn’t have taken more than 72 hours to address.”
He added that FIFA’s slow approach may have had a psychological impact on other teams in the group, describing the situation as “strange” and calling on the body to act decisively in accordance with its own rules.
Green concluded by urging FIFA to enforce the appropriate sanctions against SAFA without further delay.
He warned that prolonged indecision undermines fairness and credibility in international football.
