The South African Football Association (SAFA) has been sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for breaching regulations in the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition.
The issue arose during South Africa vs. Lesotho match on March 21, 2025, where SAFA fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena. This move contravened Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code 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 today. 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.
Culled from FIFA
