The disciplinary ruling serves as a reminder of FIFA’s strict enforcement of competition integrity and adherence to regulations.
By Tuka Letura
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has confirmed disciplinary action against the South African Football Association (SAFA) following a breach of competition regulations during the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
In a statement released today Monday, 29th September 2025, FIFA declared:
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa v. Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025 in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ preliminary competition, thereby breaching article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations.”
As a result of this ruling, the match has officially been forfeited by South Africa, with a 3-0 victory awarded to Lesotho. Additionally, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000 (approximately $12,500), while Teboho Mokoena has received a formal warning.
According to FIFA, the concerned parties were notified of the decision on Monday, and in line with the FDC, have ten days to request a motivated decision. Should such a request be made, the detailed ruling will be published on legal.fifa.com. The ruling also remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The sanction follows FIFA’s determination that Mokoena, despite being registered with the South African national team, did not meet the eligibility requirements for participation in the fixture. The oversight by SAFA’s administrative and technical departments has drawn significant criticism, particularly given the high stakes of World Cup qualification.
The disciplinary ruling serves as a reminder of FIFA’s strict enforcement of competition integrity and adherence to regulations. It also delivers a major blow to South Africa’s World Cup qualification hopes, with the points reversal strengthening Lesotho’s standing in the group and increasing the chances of progression for Benin Republic and Nigeria.
The updated Group C standings following FIFA’s ruling are shown below:
