FIFA has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho played on March 21, 2025.
The world football governing body found SAFA in breach of Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the 2026 World Cup preliminary competition regulations.
As a result, South Africa has been ordered to forfeit the fixture by a score of 3-0 in favour of Lesotho.
In addition to the forfeiture, FIFA imposed a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (£9,000) on SAFA, while Mokoena has been issued with a formal warning.
FIFA confirmed in a statement on Monday that the decision had been communicated to the parties involved.
The ruling allows SAFA ten days to request a motivated decision, which would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com if requested.
The forfeiture decision also remains subject to a possible appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The sanction represents a major setback for South Africa in its World Cup qualifying campaign, while boosting Lesotho’s standing in the preliminary competition.
