iDeemlawfulThe Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has officially docked three points from South Africa in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee penalised the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa vs. Lesotho clash played on March 21, 2025.
Mokoena, who had already received yellow cards in two earlier fixtures, featured in the starting lineup as South Africa beat Lesotho 2-0 on March 21.
The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder should have served a one-match suspension but instead played, breaching Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
As a result, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled the game forfeited by South Africa, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory.
SAFA has also been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena received a warning.
All parties were informed of the ruling today and have ten days to request a motivated decision, which, if pursued, will be published on legal.fifa.com. The sanction remains open to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The decision drastically alters Group C standings in the CAF World Cup 2026 qualifiers. South Africa, who had initially taken three points for the 2-0 win, lose them and suffer a 3-0 defeat.
This outcome offers a huge boost to Nigeria’s Super Eagles, who are battling South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho for the group’s top spot, which secures automatic World Cup qualification in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
South Africa are now level with Benin Republic on 14 points, while Nigeria sits just behind with 11 points.
The ruling intensifies pressure on all teams as they approach the final rounds, turning every remaining fixture into a must-win encounter.
