The South African Football Association (SAFA) has been sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualifier against Lesotho on March 21, 2025.
FIFA ruled that SAFA’s action breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations. As a result, the match has been forfeited in Lesotho’s favour, with the score officially recorded as a 3-0 victory.
In addition, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena has received an official warning.
The decision was communicated to all parties on Monday. Under FIFA regulations, SAFA has ten days to request a detailed, motivated decision, which would be published on legal.fifa.com if granted.
The forfeiture ruling remains open to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
