South Africa national football team Bafana Bafana appeals FIFA decision

South Africa national football team Bafana Bafana has appealed FIFA's decision to overturn their World Cup qualifying victory against Lesotho. The team is currently 4th in FIFA World Cup 2026 with 1 point, 0W-1D-1L from 2 games, recent form DL.

What happened?

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee ruled that South Africa forfeited their 2-0 win in Maseru on 21 Mar 2025, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory. The punishment came after midfielder Teboho Mokoena was fielded despite serving suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

SAFA response and appeal

In a strongly worded statement, SAFA expressed deep disappointment at what it called an unprecedented outcome delivered by a single judge without allowing the association to present legal arguments. SAFA was fined 10,000 Swiss francs (around 9,000 sterling pounds) while Mokoena received an official warning.

What comes next?

The federation has requested written reasons for the ruling and will file an appeal with FIFA's Appeals Committee within the mandatory 10-day window. The sanction has significant implications for Bafana Bafana, who have now lost top spot in their qualifying group with just 2 matches remaining.