FIFA Official Confirms Deduction of 3 Points, 3 Goals From South Africa After World Cup Blunder

• South Africa are set to lose three points and three goals for fielding suspended Teboho Mokoena vs Lesotho
• Confirmation from top official says it is now a matter of when, not if the sanction against Bafana Bafana happens
• FIFA decision will boost Nigeria’s hopes of 2026 World Cup qualification after one win after six games

South Africa’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hit a massive bump after it was confirmed that they will be docked three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player in a qualifier against Lesotho in March.

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended due to yellow cards received in matches against Benin and Zimbabwe, was still fielded by the Bafana Bafana in the tie against Lesotho—a violation of FIFA rules.

According to a senior official who spoke with SCORENigeria, he confirmed that the FIFA hammer is set to fall on Hugo Broos’ team after violating the FIFA rules.

“It is now just a question of when the announcement will be made by FIFA, but South Africa will forfeit the match against Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player,” the official disclosed.

“The facts are very clear and even South Africa have admitted their blunder.”

He added that the deduction is a foregone conclusion and FIFA is only left to make the announcement official.

How the blunder shakes up Group C

Before this dilenma, South Africa were comfortably leading Group C of the African qualifiers with 13 points from six games.

The three-point deduction would drop them to 10 points, significantly tightening the competition in the group.

The goal difference penalty also compounds their situation, potentially affecting tiebreakers in the final standings.

This turn of events is particularly good news for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who have had a shaky qualifying campaign.

With only one win from six matches and currently sitting on seven points as seen on FIFA.com, Nigeria’s chances of topping the group seemed slim.

But with South Africa likely losing three points, the gap would be reduced to just three, breathing new life into Nigeria’s campaign.

Crunch games ahead for Nigeria

The three points deduction sets the stage for a thrilling finish in Group C.

Nigeria are scheduled to face Rwanda in Uyo this September before flying out to face South Africa in what is now shaping up to be a pivotal showdown.

With four games remaining, every point will count.

For Nigeria, winning all their remaining matches is non-negotiable if they are to leapfrog South Africa and secure the sole automatic qualification ticket to the World Cup.

South Africa, on the other hand, must regroup quickly and avoid further slip-ups. While they may challenge the FIFA ruling, the official confirmation suggests there’s little room for appeal or reversal.

4 countries demand points deduction for South Africa

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that no fewer than four countries could join Nigeria in demanding that FIFA deduct three points from South Africa in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana fielded an ineligible Teboho Mokoena during their 2-0 World Cup qualifiers win over Lesotho.

Reports suggest that Lesotho have opted not to lodge a formal protest to FIFA as the country's FA cited their failure to act within the mandatory 48-hour window.

Source: Legit.ng