South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign has suffered a setback after FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the team for fielding an ineligible player in a qualifier against Lesotho.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in South Africa’s 2–0 win over Lesotho on March 21 in Polokwane, despite being suspended for accumulating two yellow cards. FIFA ruled that his participation violated Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
As a result, FIFA ordered South Africa to forfeit the match, awarding Lesotho a 3–0 victory. The South African Football Association (SAFA) was also fined 10,000 Swiss Francs ($12,500), while Mokoena received a formal warning.
“The representative team of South Africa must forfeit the match in question, resulting in a default score of 3–0,” FIFA said in its ruling. The decision may be appealed within ten days before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The sanction strips South Africa of three points, dropping them from the top of Group C to second place behind Benin on goal difference. Only group winners are guaranteed automatic qualification for the 2026 finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The ruling has reignited competition in Group C, where Nigeria and Rwanda, both three points behind the leaders, remain in contention. Benin will face Rwanda and Nigeria in the final two rounds of qualifiers between October 10 and 14, while South Africa are scheduled to travel to Zimbabwe before hosting Rwanda in their closing fixtures.
The decision has reshaped the group standings, making every remaining fixture critical for Africa’s World Cup hopefuls.
