The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition match against Lesotho on 21 March 2025.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
According to FIFA, the decision followed breaches of 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,” the world football governing body said in a statement on Monday.
In addition to forfeiting the match, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena has been issued with a warning.
“The rules are clear. All associations must respect player eligibility requirements, and violations cannot be overlooked,” the Committee added.
FIFA also confirmed that both parties have been formally notified of the decision. “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 statement read.
It further noted that the forfeiture decision “remains subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.”
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