Johannesburg – South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign has been thrown into uncertainty after the world football governing body deducted three points from Bafana Bafana for using an ineligible player in their qualifier against Lesotho.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled that midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, was not eligible to feature in the Group C match played on 21 March 2025. South Africa had initially won the fixture 2-0, but the result has now been overturned and awarded 3-0 to Lesotho.
In its Monday statement, FIFA said the South African Football Association (SAFA) had breached article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and article 14 of the 2026 World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations. Alongside the points deduction, SAFA was fined 10,000 Swiss Francs, about R215,000, while Mokoena received a warning.
The decision leaves South Africa second in Group C with 14 points and a goal difference of +3. Benin move to the top with the same number of points but a superior goal difference of +4. Nigeria follow in third with 11 points, while Rwanda trail behind. Lesotho, who benefit directly from the ruling, now have nine points from their eight matches.
Only group winners qualify automatically for the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Four of the best second-placed teams across the nine African groups will also get another chance through a play-off round.
South Africa still have two matches to play, against Zimbabwe on October 10 and Rwanda on October 14. Both will be hosted in South Africa, with the clash against Zimbabwe scheduled for Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium due to the neighbouring country lacking an approved venue.
Benin, meanwhile, will face Rwanda on October 10 and Nigeria on October 14. Nigeria will also meet Lesotho in their October 10 fixture. With such tight margins, the group’s final standings could be decided in the last round of matches.
Coach Hugo Broos admitted earlier this month that the mistake was costly, saying, “We did something bad, we did something we shouldn’t do, but there was no complaint.”
Benin’s coach, Gernot Rohr, had already pressed FIFA for a decision, while Nigeria could emerge as the biggest beneficiaries if they secure victories in their upcoming games.
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