Nigeria’s hopes of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup might have just gotten an unexpected boost following controversy around South Africa midfielder, Teboho Mokoena.

Mokoena should have been suspended for Bafana Bafana’s Matchday 5 clash against Lesotho due to accumulated yellow cards.

He was booked in their Matchday 1 fixture against Benin Republic and picked up another on Matchday 4 against Zimbabwe.

The two bookings rendered Mokoena ineligible to feature in the subsequent fixture against Lesotho.

These revelations have sparked speculation that South Africa could face a points deduction if confirmed by the relevant authorities.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers rulebook subsection 9 states that a player who receives two yellow cards in separate matches must serve a one-match suspension.

Mokoena playing for 81 minutes against Lesotho is therefore a potential breach of FIFA regulations.

If the standard six-game suspension rule applies to the 10-game qualification format, South Africa could face a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player.

This development could dramatically shift the dynamics of Group C, where Nigeria is battling to secure a World Cup ticket.

South Africa currently tops Group C with 10 points, followed by Benin with eight, Rwanda with seven, and Nigeria in fourth place with six points.

Thiago Motta was sacked as Juventus coach on Sunday after less than one season in charge with former player Igor Tudor replacing him, the Italian giants announced.

“Juventus FC announce that Thiago Motta has been relieved of his duties as men’s first team coach,” said a statement by Juventus.

“Juventus also announce that the team will now be led by Igor Tudor, who will take charge of his first training session tomorrow, Monday, 24 March.”

The decision to dump Motta followed a 4-0 defeat by Atalanta — their heaviest home defeat since 1967 — and a 3-0 loss at Fiorentina in the team’s last two games, leaving Juve a disappointing fifth in the Italian top flight.

Tudor will be tasked with securing fourth place, the last qualifying spot for the Champions League, which is crucial for Juventus’ fragile finances.

Croatian Tudor made 174 appearances for Juve as a player, before going into coaching. His past managerial experiences include Verona, Marseille and Lazio.

Although his arrival in Piedmont had raised high hopes after leading Bologna to the Champions League last season, Motta, 42, quickly disappointed the supporters.

His team rarely thrilled and collected 13 draws in the league, while summer recruits failed to live up to expectations.

Last month, they were knocked out of the Champions League by PSV Eindhoven in the play-off for a place in the last 16 and the Italian Cup, of which they were the defending champions, when they lost to Empoli in the quarter-finals.

The Italian-Brazilian coach made some odd choices, notably by relegating Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic and Turkish phenomenon Kenan Yildiz to the bench.

Juve are in a fight for a place in Europe’s top club competition with six points separating Bologna in fourth and ninth-placed AC Milan.

“The club would like to thank Thiago Motta and all of his staff for their professionalism and for the work they have carried out in recent months with passion and dedication,” added Juventus.

AFP

New Super Eagles invitee, Igho Ogbu, has revealed that he rejected an opportunity to represent Norway and waited for the time to fulfil his dream of playing for Nigeria.

Ogbu, who was part of the Flying Eagles squad in 2019, had moved to Norway in 2018 and got a chance to represent the European country during his final season with Lillestrøm.

After leaving Gombe United in 2018, Ogbu played for five clubs, (four in Norway) before moving to the Czech Republic to join Slavia Prague for a record €2.5 m fee in January 2023.

Reflecting on his decision to reject Norway, Ogbu shared that it was a deeply personal choice, guided by his late father’s wishes.

“There was a chance to play for Norway in my last season with Lillestrøm,” he told SCORENigeria.

“But I always knew that I would also get my chance with the Super Eagles.”

His faith was eventually rewarded this year as he was named in coach Eric Chelle’s 23-man squad for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

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The 25-year-old defender joined his teammates on Monday night in their Kigali camp ahead of the matches.

Ogbu reports for his first international duty with Nigeria off the back of an impressive show in Slavia Prague’s 3-0 victory over FK Jablonec in the Czech Fortuna Liga on Sunday, when he scored in the opener in the game.

It was his second goal of the season in 20 league appearances this campaign.

Meanwhile, Slavia Prague head coach Jindřich Trpišovský was full of praise for the Nigerian defender, highlighting his rare ability to contribute offensively despite being a defensive stalwart.

“Igoh usually defends the opponent’s best player and can be dominant in duels,” Trpišovský told Slavia Prague’s official website.

“He has calmed down recently, feels good, and I think it was his first goal with his left foot in his career.”