FIFA has sanctioned South Africa’s Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, 9am News reports.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in the March 21, 2025, encounter despite being ineligible. South Africa had initially won the match 2-0, but FIFA has now overturned the result.
FIFA’s Verdict
In a statement released on Monday, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that South Africa breached article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa v. Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025… Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited by the representative team of South Africa by a score of 3-0,” the statement read.
In addition to awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory, FIFA fined SAFA 10,000 Swiss francs (CHF), while Mokoena himself received a formal warning.
Group C Standings Impact
The ruling has significantly altered the World Cup qualifying Group C standings.
- Benin Republic now sit at the top with 14 points from eight matches.
- South Africa remain on 14 points but drop to second place due to an inferior goal difference.
- Nigeria’s Super Eagles are third with 11 points, keeping their qualification hopes alive.
This setback increases the pressure on Bafana Bafana and head coach Hugo Broos, as every point is now crucial in the race to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
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