Jomo Sono has called on the South African Football Association (SAFA) to hold those responsible for player eligibility accountable after FIFA deducted points from Bafana Bafana in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA overturned South Africa’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho from March after midfielder Teboho Mokoena played despite having accumulated two yellow cards before the match.
The ruling forced officials to record a 3-0 defeat instead, which severely damaged Bafana Bafana’s qualification hopes.
Sono, a legendary figure in South African football, expressed his frustration at the administrative error and demanded immediate action.
“SAFA must take action against the person who doesn’t even understand the rules of the game,” Sono told KickOff.
“I don’t know who it is, but someone must be held responsible.
It’s obviously not the coach because he doesn’t handle player bookings. That responsibility lies with someone in the management.”
Sono criticised what he described as mismanagement and disorganisation within the national team’s technical setup.
“Sometimes these mistakes happen because there are too many unnecessary people around the bench.
You don’t even know what some of them do. When I was coaching the national team, I never wanted too many people there because it creates confusion,” he explained.
He also stressed that neither the player nor the coach should take the blame for the mistake.
“A player can remember his bookings and inform management, but if they insist everything is fine, what can he do? Football follows strict rules, and the person in charge of bookings is the one responsible. That’s who should answer for this,” Sono added.
The former Bafana Bafana coach warned that the error could cost South Africa a place at the World Cup.
“Maybe someone simply forgot, but you can’t forget something so crucial.
The whole country is relying on this. If Benin wins their games and scores more goals, we’re out,” he warned.
Sono’s remarks highlight growing frustration among fans and former players over repeated administrative failings at SAFA.
The incident not only tarnished Bafana Bafana’s campaign but also reignited calls for accountability and reform within the organisation.
As the team looks ahead to their remaining qualifiers, pressure continues to mount on SAFA to ensure that such costly mistakes never happen again.
