The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has handed down sanctions against the South African Football Association (SAFA) after it was found guilty of fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during the World Cup 2026 preliminary qualifier between South Africa and Lesotho on 21 March 2025.
In its ruling, FIFA declared the match forfeited, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory. SAFA has also been fined CHF 10,000 (approximately R216,500), while Mokoena received an official warning.
According to FIFA, the breach contravened Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations. The ruling underlines FIFA’s strict stance on player eligibility and compliance with competition rules.
The decision, communicated to all parties on 28 September 2025, leaves SAFA with 10 days to request a motivated decision, which would be published on legal.fifa.com. Should SAFA choose to contest the ruling, the case may proceed to the FIFA Appeal Committee.
This sanction comes as a major setback for South Africa’s World Cup qualification campaign, as they now lose crucial points in the early stages of the competition. The development also raises concerns around administrative oversight at SAFA, with critics questioning how such an error could occur at the highest level of football governance in the country.
For now, Lesotho benefits from a decisive 3-0 awarded win, while South Africa faces both financial and reputational consequences.
