FIFA has sanctioned South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in their 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Crocodiles of Lesotho, reports Completesports.com.
Bafana Bafana featured midfielder Teboho Mokoena in the matchday five encounter in March.
The former African champions won the encounter 2-0.
FIFA on Monday awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win as punishment for Hugo Broos’ side.
FIFA’s Verdict
“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,”FIFA said in its ruling.
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“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 Squirrels of Benin Republic now occupy top spot in Group C with 14 points from eight games.
South Africa also have similar points, but with an inferior goal difference.
The Super Eagles occupy third position with 11 points.
By Adeboye Amosu
22 Comments
time for wilfred ndidi to be drafted to replace Ekong in the central defence and allow onyeka, onyedika and iwobi/dele bashiru to run the show in our midfield triangle ….
best 11 on paper for october wcq ;
1. Nwanbali
2. Aina
3. Agu
5. Ndidi/Benjamin
6. Bassey
4. Onyedika
7. Chukweze
8. Onyeka
9. Osimhen
10. Iwobi/delebashiru
11. Lookman/M.Simon
PMSL…Ndidi in defence, Iwobi in team playing wing no doubt abi? Loool
Mehn we thank God that people like you have nothing to do with our team selections otherwise the SE will be in serious trouble now or completely dead and buried hehehe – oboy leave opinions on football,, it’s not your strong point, find another sport likt ping pong or table tennis as you lot call it. LMAAOO .
Antway back to planet earth – let nobody start getting high hopes because of this news, the odds are still stacked against the SE, and we need to be very careful of not handing that world cup ticket to SA by beating Benin – so whatever happens, the only outcome that I will be disappointed by is if SA end up still picking the ticket – if the SE don’t make it then it has to be Benin, lets remember this important fact as we navigate this last couple of games – remember that SA are alrready cheating with unnatural home advantages and playing Lesotho etc, along with using their “insider” advantage as well – it’s like what the Yoruba’s say – it’s “Gbogbo ara nija” We must fight fire with fire.
ogbeni you know nothing about football so shut thy trap and make your own opinion known
Justice well deserved
When I said Hugo Broos said (pre-match press conference with Nigeria) that there was sad news, but he won’t go into much detail, I knew this was the news. , But one low IQ known psml abuser was here saying nonsense. You get sense past me? Or do you think I just make conclusions like that?
Nah, to see how Rwanda can do the miracle for us. October 6 – 10 will be bloody cos Benin knows it’s theirs for the taking. The good thing is that, Rwanda, on the same 11 points as Nigeria, also has a chance. And their coach, Amrouche, is a friend of Nigeria who would prefer Rwanda or Nigeria to qualify instead.
South Africa will be rooting for Nigeria to beat Benin.
Nigeria will be rooting for Rwanda to beat SA.
Hahahahaha. If only we had won the last match 1-0. If only,
Bro, we drew 5 games out of 8. I don’t expect back to back wins from roughly the same players that will likely stroll into camp 2 days to the next qualifier.
Anyway, make e dey their CV say many of them dey 2 squads that failed to go to the world cup.
It serves them right.
Gusau is stylishly saying “reforms will happen when the next election comes up next year”.
Glasshouse is scared of the inevitable and might invoke the FIFA independence card
Iyanu Ma Chelle!! VAMOS ARRIBBA SUPEREAGLES!!!!
South Africa will still qualify. I do not think Benin will beat nigeria. The most they will get is a draw. Truth be said S/A deserve to go to the world cup because they have played good football and have by far been the better team in the group.
What have South Africa played? Playing most of their games at home?? or playing 6 players in defense against us? What can they do at the WorldCup? Even when they hosted it they couldn’t make it past the group stage. The only thing going for them is the chemistry among the Sundowns and Orlando Pirates players in their team. And Hugo Broos.
Give the SuperEagles a full two weeks of preparation we will always beat them. Even though we messed up all thanks to clueless Finidi we still have a chance, either to win the group or at least make the playoffs. I know Zimbabwe will give them the points, but Rwanda maybe the joker we need to qualify as group winners. We just must win our two remaining matches any which way. Iyanu Ma Chelle!!!
Fifa should order south Africa to play Zimbabwe in either zambia, Angola or Malawi if they are serious about fairness or fair play. Zimbabwe playing their home game in south Africa does not potray fifa as an organisation that believes in fairness
This fraudulent fixture will still allow this south Africa team to gain cheap points.
This disciplinary measure will not affect the outcome of the qualifying series if south Africa earn dubious points from the above mentioned fixture
If you like play the SA vs Zimbabwe in the moon, you see Zimbabwe and lisotho dear not be the reason for SA fail qualification, SA is the air they breath and they’ve said it openly that they will rather SA qualify, so anywhere they like they shd play the match, we’ve goofed with the qualification already.
Fifa statues and fair play code mandates that all matches and competition are played according to the principles of fair play.
The Nigeria football association if they are serious about our world cup Qualification should insist that south Africa vs Zimbabwe match which is supposed to be Zimbabwe home match be moved to another venue within the region. They good facilities in Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi or Botswana that can host the above mentioned fixture.
Na today una day break….??
I warned from the day the draws were made that Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and probably Benin might opt to play their “home” games in South Africa for logistics and cost reasons.
If I, as a fan, could notice this ahead of time, the whole NFF with their team of blabbermouths never did talk more of lodge complaints and opposition to that beforehand.
Is it at this 11th hour you think FIFA will listen to complaints about where a team has chosen to play its home games….??? LMAOooooo.
Fair play and fairness do not just play into your hands; you have to demand it.
Yoruba elders will say didake roro ibere oriburuku……. Keeping quiet always is the beginning of misfortune/bad luck.
Ebenezer Akinsamiro of Sporting Club Pisa in the Serie A (Italy) should be drafted into the Super Eagles midfield as a worthy replacement for the injured players in the midfield. I hope coach Eric Chelle is aware of Ebenezer Akinsamiro’s potential, skill and work rate. He is also on loan to Pisa from Inter Milan. He is a talented midfielder.
Iyanu Ma Chelle!!
Lesotho should also play their home match in UYO since Zimbabwe will play their home match in South Africa. Why must everyone play their matches in South Africa?? NFF una need to be sacked ASAP!!!
At this point am rooting for SA, in all honesty they deserve it. Nigeria is not suppose to go to world cup, with that performance.
It will hurt me if a country that almost have 100% clean record to not to make.
Hard work needs to be rewarded, let us face it Nigeria is not suppose to be at the world cup.
These present eagels lack winning mentality and no fighting spirit.
They don’t deserve to be at the world cup. Infact many of them don’t deserve to play at that level.
They should go and read Samuel okwaraji story and see dedication of the highest order.
Abeggiii.
Wike, NFF is wicked. They didn’t have the best interest of Nigerians.
Supported! Akinsanmiro is ready for the SE. Watch his recent games for Pisa in Serie A. He’ll be great value in our midfield department.
I lost faith when we failed to beat Zim at home. This is the same Zim SA will flog to pieces when they clash. The SE should give fans something to support. We can’t support mediocrity and tepidity. But of course, the useless NFF and the moribund technical department are responsible for our struggles at the moment. They are the enemy within that we must get rid of to move forward. The current leadership must go!
Hmmmm. Fellow Nigerians, please calm down for a moment. It is not over kę.
I believe what is happening in our group is not just happening but for a reason.
In one word, I believe Nigeria will qualify for the World Cup. God is in control. We move. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Omo9ja, God is neutral when it comes to football matters. If Nigeria were playing in premier League, we for dey drag relegation playoffs with Man united.
Like Man U, like Eagles.
Man U under Amorim has not won back to back pl games from last season.
Nigeria has only won 2 of 8 world cup qualifiers and you say God wanna reward incompetence?
Never.
In fact, if God were not neutral, I dare say he’ll reward Benin Republic who are playing 10 games “away from home”.
It will be history making achievement if it happens and I want it for them, seriously.
That would mean, we’ll never have future excuses to fail again for any reason if Benin did it.
I wish our fake “first team” players decline invitations when the roster is up so that we’ll let Benin ride over us.
Rwanda is both playing Benin and SA, our rivals BUT THEY ARE BELOW US WITH INFERIOR GOAL DIFFERENCE.
That’s another plot twist but let Benin go through.
We don’t deserve any ticket, good one is playoff spot is beyond our reach.
God is neutral but my prayers are for Benin to do it!
I won’t reward glasshouse with “automatic” second term ticket with that feat – our football in another 4 years, by Gusau and co, will be extinct really.
Morocco, Senegal, CIV, Cameroon, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Mali and the 10 qualifiers from Africa will automatically move above us in FIFA rankings.
Pots C or D await us.
Ha!
It serves us right!