FIFA Probes South Africa Over Ineligible Mokoena in World Cup Qualifier
Written by Alonge Akinlolu on 19 — 09
South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign has been thrown into uncertainty after FIFA officially opened disciplinary proceedings against the South African Football Association (SAFA) and midfielder Teboho Mokoena for fielding an ineligible player.
Mokoena featured in Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane on 21 March 2025, despite having accumulated two yellow cards in earlier qualifiers, against Benin in November 2023 and Zimbabwe in June 2024, which should have triggered a one match suspension.
In a letter dated 15 September 2025, FIFA informed SAFA of the breach and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee. Both SAFA and Mokoena have been given six days to submit their response.
If found guilty, South Africa risk forfeiting the result, with Lesotho potentially awarded a 3-0 win. Such a sanction could significantly alter Group C standings, where Bafana Bafana are battling Benin, Lesotho, Nigeria and Zimbabwe for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
The development comes months after the match was played, with FIFA only now moving to address the eligibility issue. No official statement has yet been released by SAFA on how it intends to respond.
