The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has penalised the South African Football Association after ruling that midfielder Teboho Mokoena was ineligible to feature in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ preliminary qualifier against Lesotho on 21 March 2025.
FIFA confirmed that the incident constituted a violation of Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations.
As a result, the fixture has been awarded to Lesotho with a 3-0 victory, while SAFA must also pay a fine of CHF 10,000. Mokoena himself has been formally cautioned.
Both SAFA and the player have been informed of the ruling, and under FIFA regulations, they have ten days to request a detailed, motivated decision.
Should they do so, the document will be published on FIFA’s legal website.
The forfeiture ruling may also be contested before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
