South Africa Hit with FIFA Sanction After Fielding Ineligible Player
Written by Alonge Akinlolu on 29 — 09
South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has suffered a huge blow after FIFA imposed points deduction for fielding an ineligible player during the African qualifiers.
The decision comes after Teboho Mokoena played in the World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho on 21 March 2025, despite being suspended due to two earlier yellow cards. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that the South African Football Association (SAFA) breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the Preliminary Competition Regulations.
South Africa’s match against Lesotho has been forfeited as a 3–0 loss. SAFA have been fined CHF 10,000. Midfielder Teboho Mokoena received an official warning.
The ruling can still be appealed before FIFA’s Appeal Committee. The punishment has reshaped the CAF World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers Group C:
Benin now leads with 14 points, edging South Africa on goal difference. South Africa drops to second place, also on 14 points. Nigeria and Rwanda remain in contention with 11 points each.
Lesotho sits on 9 points, while Zimbabwe trails with 4 points.
With just two qualifying rounds left in October 2025, the race for the top spot and the automatic World Cup ticket to the United States, Canada, and Mexico remains wide open.
