WORLD football governing body FIFA has officially disciplined South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The sanction is a big boost to the flagging qualification hopes of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who are in the same qualifying group with South Africa.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary match against Lesotho on 21 March 2025,” FIFA said in an official statement made available to Naija Times today.
“The decision follows violations of Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the Preliminary Competition Regulations.
“As a result, FIFA has declared the match forfeited, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory. In addition to the points deduction, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena has received an official warning.”
The ruling has significantly impacted the dynamics of African qualifying Group C, throwing the race for United States of America, Mexico and Canada wide open.
With South Africa losing three crucial points, the group now sees four teams, South Africa, Benin, Nigeria, and Rwanda, all with a realistic chance of securing the one automatic ticket.
“All parties were notified of the decision today,” FIFA added.
“Under FIFA regulations, SAFA and Mokoena have ten days to request a motivated decision, which, if submitted, will be published on legal.fifa.com.
“The forfeiture remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.”
South Africa still top the qualifying group with 14 points from eight points, the same as Benin Republic but with a superior goal difference, while the Super Eagles have 11.
All the six teams in the group have two matches left each, with the Super Eagles needing to beat Benin Republic at home and Lesotho away in October to stand a chance of avoiding back-to-back World Cup misses.