FIFA has officially opened disciplinary proceedings against the South African Football Association (SAFA) for allegedly fielding an ineligible player Teboho Mokoena during a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The charge stems from South Africa’s match against Lesotho,
in which midfielder Mokoena participated despite being under a mandatory
one-match suspension.
The suspension was for accumulating two yellow cards in
previous qualifiers against Benin and Zimbabwe.
The issue was initially raised by other nations in Group C,
including Nigeria, Benin, and Lesotho, who questioned FIFA’s silence on the
matter.
The charges were formally announced one week after South
Africa’s crucial 1-1 draw with Nigeria.
In a letter dated September 15, FIFA notified SAFA that it
had breached multiple disciplinary regulations by allegedly playing the
suspended athlete.
The governing body has given SAFA until September 22 to
respond to the charges.
If found guilty, South Africa faces a mandatory forfeit of
the match against Lesotho, with a 3-0 scoreline awarded in Lesotho’s favour.
This would result in a three-point deduction for South
Africa, reducing their total from 17 to 14 points in the group standings.
Such a verdict would significantly impact the tight race for
World Cup qualification. It would improve Nigeria’s chances, bringing the Super
Eagles to within three points of the top two.
However, Nigeria would still need to win its final two
matches against Lesotho and Benin in October and rely on other results going
their way.
SAFA has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.
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