September 29, (THEWILL) — FIFA has imposed sanctions on the South African Football Association following the fielding of an ineligible player during a World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho in March 2025. The world governing body’s disciplinary committee ruled that midfielder Teboho Mokoena appeared in the fixture whilst serving a suspension after accumulating yellow cards in earlier matches against Benin and Zimbabwe. The original 2-0 victory in Polokwane on 21 March has been overturned and recorded as a 3-0 defeat in favour of Lesotho.
The decision has immediate consequences for South Africa’s position in Group C of the African qualifying zone. The team has dropped to second place, now level on points with Benin but trailing on goal difference. Nigeria remain in third position despite this administrative decline for the group leaders. The ruling is a mild setback for South Africa’s hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament.
The disciplinary committee found that the South African FA violated Article 19 of FIFA’s code and Article 14 of the World Cup preliminary competition regulations. In addition to the match forfeit, the association has been ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs. Mokoena himself has received a formal warning from the governing body.
South Africa retains the right to challenge the ruling through FIFA’s appeals process. The association has been granted 10 days from notification to request a full written decision, which would then be published on FIFA’s legal portal. Any appeal would be heard by FIFA’s Appeal Committee, though the forfeit stands unless successfully overturned.
The sanction adds to recent administrative difficulties for South African football and raises questions about internal compliance procedures. With two qualifying rounds remaining, the point deduction leaves the team facing a Beninoise battle to claim one of Africa’s direct qualification places at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
