The South Africa national team are the subject of controversy in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying after it was revealed that Bafana Bafana fielded an ineligible player in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho. South Africa currently lead Group C by two points ahead of second placed Benin.
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena played 82 minutes in the Lesotho victory, which moved Bafana Bafana up to first place in a tight Group C that also includes Benin, Rwanda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. However, Mokoena had accumulated yellow cards in previous World Cup qualifiers including South Africa's 2-1 victory over Benin in November 2023 and in June 2024 against Zimbabwe which should have constituted a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation.
Another twist to the story is that it appears that Bafana Bafana may not be punished for what could have been a massive error. The Lesotho Football Association did not report the error to the match commissioner, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) or FIFA within a two-hour deadline following the match and a further 24-hour window. Such a violation would likely lead to points being deducted which could be crucial in the tight race for qualification.
Due to Lesotho's failure to lodge a protest, it appears that South Africa will get away without punishment...for now. There are legal avenues to pursue punishment against Bafana Bafana and there will likely be plenty of interest from the football governing bodies of South Africa's Group C foes to explore the options.
Now that the story continues to gain interest and attention, there will be more to develop after the conclusion of the March FIFA window in the African region on Tuesday. Mokoena will be held out of South Africa's clash against Benin in Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
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