The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory and deducting three points from South Africa’s tally. SAFA has also been fined CHF 10,000, and midfielder Teboho Mokoena, the player at the centre of the dispute, received a formal warning. The match …
FIFA Strips South Africa 3 Goals, 3 Points in World Cup Qualifier
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory and deducting three points from South Africa’s tally.
SAFA has also been fined CHF 10,000, and midfielder Teboho Mokoena, the player at the centre of the dispute, received a formal warning.
The match in question, originally played on 21 March 2025, saw South Africa beat Lesotho 2–0, but the use of Mokoena, who should have been suspended under yellow-card accumulation rules, breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.
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Under FIFA’s ruling, the match is forfeited by South Africa at a default scoreline of 0–3, and the decision stands pending any appeal to the FIFA Appeal Committee. SAFA and the opposing parties now have ten days to request a reasoned, “motivated decision”, which would then be published on legal.fifa.com.
Group C Shaken — Implications for Super Eagles
Revised Standings & Group Dynamics
This ruling upends the standings in CAF Group C. Before the decision, South Africa led the group with 17 points (from 8 matches). With the deduction, they now fall to 14 points, tied with Benin but trailing on goal difference.
The current Group C lineup is (post-deduction):
Benin Republic — 14 points (ahead by goal difference)
South Africa — 14 points
Nigeria (Super Eagles) — 11 points
Rwanda — 11 points
Only the group winner receives automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the runner-up faces a multi-stage playoff hurdle.
What This Means for Nigeria (Super Eagles)
For Nigeria, the decision is a dramatic lifeline. Before, the Super Eagles were realistically six points behind South Africa, making their path to the top spot almost impossible. But now:
The gap to the group leaders narrows to just three points, and with two matches remaining, Nigeria retains a fighting chance to close that gap.
A victory over Benin would not only yield three points but would also weaken one of Nigeria’s main rivals.
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Simultaneously, Nigeria needs South Africa to drop points in their final fixtures (versus Zimbabwe and Rwanda) to further tilt the balance.
However, uncertainties remain:
Nigeria must win both remaining fixtures—no margin for error.
Even with a second-place finish, Nigeria would need to navigate the playoff gauntlet to reach the World Cup Finals.
Goal difference might ultimately prove decisive, so big-margin wins will be important for Nigeria.
Some pundits remain cautious, pointing out that the ruling comes late in the campaign and that Nigeria’s own fate still rests heavily on their performance.
Still, much depends on the final matchday results, goal margins, and possibly successful appeals. For the Super Eagles, the road ahead is narrow, but the ruling has handed them a shot that was fading fast.
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