FIFA strips South Africa of World Cup qualifying win for fielding ineligible player

South Africa has been stripped of a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory after the team fielded an ineligible player, a decision that has dramatically altered the standings in their group.

FIFA confirmed on Monday that its Disciplinary Committee overturned Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win over Lesotho in March, awarding the match as a 3-0 forfeit loss.

The ruling pushes Benin to the top of the group with two fixtures remaining, intensifying the battle for Africa’s single direct qualification spot.

At the center of the controversy is midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who started the match in Polokwane despite being suspended for accumulating two yellow cards in earlier qualifiers.

“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,” the FIFA statement said.

As part of the sanctions, SAFA was fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena received a formal warning.

“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 punishment not only erases South Africa’s three points but also inflicts a five-goal swing in goal difference, dropping Hugo Broos’ side behind Benin.

Both nations are level on points, three clear of Nigeria and Rwanda, but Benin now leads by a single goal.

The group will be decided in October, with South Africa facing Zimbabwe on October 10, played in Durban, as Zimbabwe lacks a CAF-approved stadium, and hosting Rwanda on October 14.

Benin, meanwhile, visits Rwanda before travelling to Nigeria, who still harbours hopes of qualifying for their seventh World Cup and first since Russia 2018. Nigeria must also play Lesotho in their final fixtures.

Only the group winner secures an automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The runner-up will enter a four-team African playoff in November.

South Africa, who last appeared at the World Cup as hosts in 2010, now face a decisive test in their bid to return to football’s biggest stage.