By Olaolu Fawole
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa versus Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition.
According to a statement by FIFA, the act breached 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 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 parties were notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision on Monday.
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.
