The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary match against Lesotho played on 21 March 2025.
FIFA also fined SAFA CHF 10,000, while Teboho Mokoena has received an official warning.
The world football governing body in a statement issued Monday said South Africa breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations by featuring the player, who was not eligible for selection.
To this end, FIFA has awarded the match to Lesotho with a 3–0 scoreline, overturning the original result.
FIFA noted: “The parties involved have been notified of the decision and have ten days to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, will be published on legal.fifa.com.”
The ruling, however, remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee, in line with the relevant provisions of the Disciplinary Code.