FIFA slams South Africa with a Fine, blowing Group C race wide open for Super Eagles

The race for a spot at the FIFA World Cup 202 has taken a dramatic turn following a disciplinary ruling by FIFA against the South African Football Association (SAFA).

The sanction, which includes the forfeiture of a qualifying match, has major implications for the African qualifiers, particularly benefiting Nigeria's Super Eagles, who are battling South Africa in a tightly contested Group C.

What FIFA Said

FIFA said in a statement, “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for having fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in the South Africa v. Lesotho match played on 21 March 2025 in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ preliminary competition, thereby breaching article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and article 14 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Preliminary Competition Regulations.

“Consequently, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the match in question to have been forfeited by the representative team of South Africa by a score of 3-0.

“SAFA has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 to FIFA, while Teboho Mokoena has been issued with a warning.

“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.”

Group C standings rocked: Boost for Nigeria

This ruling immediately reshapes the standings in Group C of the CAF World Cup 2026 qualifiers. South Africa, who were initially awarded three points for their 2-0 win, will now have those points revoked and incur a 3-0 loss.

The forfeiture provides a major boost to Nigeria's Super Eagles, who are vying with South Africa, Benin, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho for the top spot, which guarantees automatic qualification for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

South Africa - 14 points

Benin Republic - 14 points

Nigeria - 11 points

Rwanda - 11 points

The pressure will now mount on all teams in the group as they head into the final rounds of matches, making every remaining fixture a must-win.