FIFA disciplinary committee sanctions the SAFA for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their match against Lesotho.
FIFA disciplinary committee sanctions the SAFA for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their match against Lesotho.
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.
Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited by the representative team of South Africa by a score of 3-0.
SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA, while Teboho Mokoena has been issued with a warning.
The parties were notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision today. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FDC, they have ten days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The forfeiture decision remains subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
South Africa won the game 3-0, and with this sanction will now LOSE THEIR first-place slot in the World Cup qualifiers to Benin.
