In a severe blow to South Africa’s World Cup hopes, FIFA has found Bafana Bafana guilty of fielding an ineligible player. The global football body has sanctioned the South African Football Association (SAFA) for selecting Teboho Mokoena in the March qualifier against Lesotho.
The punishment is harsh: South Africa forfeits the match 3-0, is fined R216,466, and Mokoena has been officially warned. The immediate consequence sees Bafana plummet from the top of Group C to second place, now trailing Benin on goal difference.
Despite the setback, Hugo Broos’s men still control their destiny. With crucial matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda remaining, and rivals Benin and Nigeria set to clash, Bafana’s path to qualification remains open, albeit now much more precarious.
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