Chijioke Gabriel
World football governing body, FIFA, has struck a major blow to South Africa’s World Cup qualifiers hopes after deducting three points from Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho.
In a ruling released on Monday in Zurich, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee confirmed that South Africa violated competition rules by playing midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in earlier qualifiers.
As punishment, the March 21st fixture has been forfeited in favour of Lesotho, with the match awarded as a 3–0 victory to the Crocodiles.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has also been handed a CHF 10,000 fine, while Mokoena received an official warning. Both SAFA and the player have 10 days to request a full written decision and may lodge an appeal to FIFA’s Appeal Committee thereafter.
The deduction significantly reshapes Group C of the African qualifiers, leaving South Africa in a vulnerable position with just two rounds of matches left. Lesotho, meanwhile, benefits directly from the ruling and moves up the table with three valuable points.
This setback adds fresh drama to the race for World Cup qualification in Africa, with Nigeria, Benin, Rwanda, and Lesotho now closely watching how the standings tilt in their favour.