* Deducts three points from Banana Banana for fielding ineligible player
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary match against Lesotho played on March 21, 2025.
In a statement released on Monday, FIFA confirmed that South Africa breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and Article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition Regulations by featuring the player, who was not eligible for selection.
As a result, FIFA has awarded the match to Lesotho with a 3–0 scoreline, overturning the original result.
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In addition to the forfeiture, SAFA has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 Swiss Franc, while Teboho Mokoena has received an official warning from the world football governing body.
According to FIFA, the parties involved have been notified of the decision and have 10 days to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, will be published on legal.fifa.com.
