South Africa Lose FIFA Points and Receives Warning. Image credit: Ashley Vlotman/ Gallo
(The Post News) – FIFA punished Bafana Bafana with three goals for having an ineligible player for their qualifier with Lesotho, severely hurting South Africa’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The game, which Bafana Bafana had led 2-0 at first, wasn’t supposed to involve midfielder Teboho Mokoena, FIFA concluded. The organizing committee pointed to infractions of both Article 14 of the World Cup preparatory competition rules and Article 19 of its misconduct code.
FIFA reversed Bafana Bafana’s result and gave Lesotho a 3-0 victory by abandonment as a form of discipline. In addition to the loss of points, Mokoena was given an official cautionary note, and the South African Football Association (SAFA) was fined over R215,000.
In response, SAFA said on Monday that it was deeply disappointed by the decision. The club criticized the punishment process in an open statement, stressing the fact that the sentence was imposed by a one-member panel rather than giving SAFA an opportunity to raise legal concerns or provide justification.
SAFA responded by requesting formal explanations for the ruling and reaffirming their intention to file a motion for review with the Appeal Board during the stipulated 10-day period. The organization reaffirmed its encouragement for Bafana Bafana as well as their continued quest to earn a spot in the Football World Cup for their first opportunity since 2002 irrespective of the setback. The last time South Africa hosted the competition was in 2010.
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, also voiced his opinion, describing the sanction as a setback to the nation’s athletic standing. The Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture will investigate how the eligibility issue happened, McKenzie, who recently made news for pledging to quit his current ministerial position, revealed.
Benin is now leading Group C on goal differential, while Bafana Bafana is currently in the second slot with 14 points. Lesotho’s off-field victory has moved them up to nine points, while Nigeria and Rwanda are right behind with eleven.
The games Bafana Bafana has left are very important. To preserve their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, coach Hugo Broos and the rest of the squad, who will be revealed in the coming days, currently have to win both games and keep a better goal balance. Without a question, the expectation has grown, but if the group continues to stay cohesive, committed, and efficient throughout their time on the field, qualifying is still possible.
About the Author
