FIFA Sanctions South Africa, Deducts Three Points in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed sanctions on the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualifier against Lesotho on March 21, 2025.

FIFA confirmed that SAFA’s decision to play Mokoena breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations. As a result, the match has been declared forfeited, with Lesotho awarded a 3-0 victory.

In addition to the forfeiture, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena himself has received an official warning.

The ruling was communicated to the parties today. Under FIFA rules, SAFA has ten days to request a detailed written decision, after which the full document would be published on legal.fifa.com. The sanction is also subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.

Prior to the punishment, Hugo Broos’ men led Group C with 17 points from eight matches, holding a three-point cushion over Benin. However, with their 2-0 win against Lesotho overturned to a 0-3 defeat, the Squirrels of Benin have now overtaken South Africa at the top of the group.