The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for fielding midfielder Teboho Mokoena to play against Lesotho, despite the player’s ineligibility.

The match, which took place on March 21, 2025, formed part of the preceding competition for the 2026 World Cup.

SAFA’s selection of Mokoena was discovered as a breach of Article 29 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 preliminary competition regulations.

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On this note, SAFA has been charged with a 10,000 Swiss franc (£9,000) fine, while Mokoena has been issued with a warning.

FIFA also confirmed that South Africa must forfeit the fixture by 3-0 in favour of Lesotho.

On Monday, FIFA stated that the directive had been relayed to each party, saying, “The parties were notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision today.”

“In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FDC, they have ten days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The forfeiture decision remains subject to a potential appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.”