The South African Football Association (SAFA) has been sanctioned by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during their FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier against Lesotho on 21 March 2025.
South Africa had originally won the match 3-0, but FIFA has ruled that result invalid. The match has now been awarded to Lesotho with a 3-0 forfeit victory, after SAFA was found guilty of breaching Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations.
As part of the sanctions, SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA, while Mokoena has received a warning.
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This ruling has major consequences for the group standings. With the forfeit, South Africa lose their top spot in the World Cup qualifiers, dropping below Benin, who now move into first place. The setback could prove decisive in the battle for qualification.
FIFA confirmed that all parties have been notified of the decision. SAFA has ten days to request a motivated decision, which would be published on legal.fifa.com. The association also retains the right to appeal the ruling before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The sanction represents a significant blow to South Africa’s qualifying campaign, and the federation now faces the dual challenge of recovering lost points on the field and navigating the disciplinary process off it.
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