South Africa Faces FIFA Sanctions for Fielding Ineligible Player in World Cup Qualifier

A controversy has erupted in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers, with South Africa facing the possibility of losing three points for allegedly fielding an ineligible player.

Midfielder Teboho Mokoena accumulated two yellow cards in the series before their last game against Lesotho, making him ineligible to play.

According to FIFA World Cup qualifying rules, a player who receives two cautions in one match or in two different matches of the competition will be automatically suspended from their team’s subsequent match.

Despite this, Mokoena played 82 minutes in South Africa’s 2-0 win over Lesotho last Friday.

If a protest is lodged by either Nigeria or Lesotho, and it is successful, Lesotho will be awarded three points, which would take them to eight points in the standings.

This could also give Nigeria an opportunity to overtake South Africa in the group standings.

However, FIFA stipulates that protests regarding player eligibility must be submitted in writing to the FIFA Match Commissioner within two hours of the match in question.

If the protest is not submitted within the stipulated time, it will be disregarded.

“Protests regarding the eligibility of players selected for matches in the preliminary competition shall be submitted in writing to the FIFA Match Commissioner within two hours of the match in question…,” FIFA stated in the rule book.

The outcome of this controversy could have significant implications for the Group C standings.

South Africa currently tops the group with 10 points, followed by the Benin Republic with eight points, Rwanda with seven points, and Nigeria with six points.

Persecondnews reports that South African Football Association (SAFA) has instructed the technical team not to field Mokoena in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Benin on Tuesday.

Managing player suspensions falls under the responsibility of the Bafana Bafana team manager, a role held by Vincent Tseka.

Sources previously described Tseka as allegedly inefficient, with frequent conflicts with the technical team.

He was also accused of failing to secure a training venue—Dobsonville Stadium—in 2022 when Bafana Bafana hosted Sierra Leone.

SAFA may face a fine for fielding Mokoena, despite Lesotho FA’s failure to lodge a timely protest.

Persecondnews reports that the final outcome remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: South Africa’s actions have sparked controversy and raised questions about their commitment to fair play.