Bafana Bafana Docked Three Points for Fielding Ineligible Player

FIFA has confirmed that South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, have been docked three points for fielding Teboho Mokoena in their March 2025 World Cup 2026 Group C qualifier against Lesotho. The sanction pushes Bafana into second place in Group C, dealing a setback to their hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

According to FIFA, “The Disciplinary Committee has penalized the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa vs. Lesotho match on 21 March 2025, violating Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations.” The match has now been recorded as a 3-0 forfeit in favour of Lesotho. SAFA must also pay a fine of CHF 10,000 (approximately R215,000), while Mokoena has received a formal warning.

Originally, South Africa had secured a 2-0 win, but the ruling now leaves them with 14 points and a +3 goal difference. Benin currently leads the group with 14 points and a +4 goal difference, while Nigeria sits third with 11 points, ahead of Rwanda on goal difference. Lesotho moves up to nine points after eight matches.

Despite the penalty, Bafana Bafana still have a strong chance to top the group. They will face Zimbabwe on October 10 and Rwanda on October 13, with both fixtures held in South Africa. Zimbabwe, technically the home team, will play at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban due to the lack of a suitable venue in their country.

Benin, on the other hand, will finish their campaign with away games against Rwanda and Nigeria. Nevertheless, South Africa’s oversight has significantly complicated their path to direct qualification.

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