The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa match against Lesotho played on 21 March 2025 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, 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 ruled that the representative team of South Africa must forfeit the match in question, resulting in a default score of 3-0.
The ruling also ordered SAFA to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA, while Teboho Mokoena has been issued 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.
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TVC previously reported that the international governing body responsible for association football, FIFA, has officially opened a disciplinary investigation against South Africa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho in March.
A statement published on SABC Sport, a credible soccer news platform in South Africa, stated that 28-year-old midfielder Mokoena was fielded while under suspension in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, which South Africa won 2–0 against Lesotho on 21 March in Polokwane.
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