Reports have surfaced suggesting that South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, may face a points deduction in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers campaign due to a potential breach of FIFA regulations.
The controversy revolves around midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was allegedly ineligible to play against Lesotho due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Despite this, Mokoena was fielded and played 81 minutes in the Match Day 5 fixture
Mokoena received yellow cards in South Africa’s opening qualifier against Benin Republic and again against Zimbabwe. According to FIFA rules, a player who accumulates two yellow cards in separate matches is automatically suspended for the next game.
However, South Africa’s coaching and administrative staff seemingly overlooked the suspension rule, which has historically applied to the standard six-game format but now requires further clarity in the expanded ten-game qualification format.
If FIFA confirms the violation, South Africa could be penalized with a three-point deduction, a decision that could impact their qualification hopes and serve as a crucial lesson in rule compliance moving forward.
