The South African Football Association have been sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho on March 21, 2025. The committee ruled that South Africa must forfeit the match, resulting in a default score of 3-0.
The decision was made due to a breach of article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations. In addition to the forfeiture, the South African Football Association has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA. Teboho Mokoena has received a warning.
The parties have been notified of the decision and have ten days to request a motivated decision, which would be published on (link unavailable) if requested. The forfeiture decision is subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
This development follows a disciplinary investigation opened by FIFA against South Africa for fielding the ineligible player during the qualifying match. The investigation led to the sanctions imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
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