National Teams
SAFA to appeal FIFA ruling on points deduction over ineligible player
By Samuel Ahmadu, Chief Editor
The South African Football Association (SAFA) says it will challenge a FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling that stripped Bafana Bafana of points in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign for fielding an ineligible player.
FIFA announced that South Africa’s 21 March 2025 qualifier against Lesotho has been forfeited with a 3-0 scoreline after midfielder Teboho Mokoena was erroneously fielded.
In addition to the points loss, SAFA has been fined CHF 10,000, while Mokoena received a formal warning.
SAFA expressed “deep disappointment” at the ruling, describing it as unprecedented.
“The outcome was delivered by a single-member panel without reasons, and without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments,” the governing body said.
The association confirmed it has requested written reasons and will submit an appeal to FIFA’s Appeals Committee within the 10-day deadline.
The development has stirred interest across the continent, particularly in Nigeria, where the Super Eagles are chasing qualification from the same group.
The disciplinary ruling, if upheld, could shift the balance of the standings in Nigeria’s favour as the campaign enters its decisive stage.
Despite the setback, SAFA stressed its continued backing of the national team.
“The players and the technical team have worked extremely hard to reach this stage, and we remain focused on ensuring they secure maximum points in the matches ahead. We apologise to the nation for this administrative oversight,” the statement read.
Bafana Bafana will resume their campaign with a home fixture against Zimbabwe on 10 October at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, before hosting Rwanda on 14 October at Mbombela Stadium. Both matches will kick off at 18h00.
