The South African Football Association (SAFA) has been sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for breaching Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
The committee’s decision came after it was discovered that SAFA fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualifier against Lesotho on March 21, 2025.
As a result of the sanction, the match has been forfeited in favour of Lesotho, with a 3-0 scoreline awarded.
SAFA has also been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena received an official warning.
According to the FIFA rules, the parties have 10 days to request a detailed, motivated decision, which would subsequently be published.
The ruling remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
This decision has significant implications for the World Cup qualification standings.
Hugo Broos’ men were previously sitting at the top of Group C with 17 points from eight games, three points ahead of second-placed Benin.
However, with their 2-0 win against Lesotho being written off and resulting in a 0-3 loss due to the administrative error, they have now been overtaken by the Squirrels.
The decision was formally communicated to the parties, and SAFA can still request a detailed, motivated decision within the next 10 days.
The outcome of this sanction could have far-reaching consequences for South Africa’s World Cup qualification campaign.
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