FIFA Disciplinary List: South Africa Escape Sanction in Teboho Mokoena Yellow Card Controversy
- FIFA has unveiled its latest list of disciplinary actions for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with fans watching closely to see if South Africa will be sanctioned
- The spotlight remains on the Teboho Mokoena yellow card saga, which has fuelled debate and pressure from rival nations
- With Bafana Bafana leading Group C, any decision from FIFA could reshape the race for qualification
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The football governing body FIFA has released a list of nations facing disciplinary action. With the Teboho Mokoena yellow card controversy hanging over South Africa, many were eager to see if Bafana Bafana had been sanctioned.
Mokoena featured in the 2-0 win against Lesotho in March 2025 despite being ineligible after accumulating two yellow cards in earlier matches.
Source: Getty Images
Lesotho, however, failed to protest within the required 48 hours. Despite this, rivals Nigeria and Benin have continued to push for action against South Africa.
Their calls grew louder after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week upheld FIFA’s decision to dock Equatorial Guinea six points for fielding an ineligible player during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
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FIFA releases list of nations to be sanctioned
In FIFA’s latest list of disciplinary sanctions, South Africa did not appear. This suggests Bafana Bafana may have escaped punishment, especially since FIFA hinted last week, before the Nigeria clash, that no action was planned.
Still, no official statement has been issued, and the absence of South Africa from the list leaves room for uncertainty.
According to the Nigerian Eye, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) insists that South Africa could still face disciplinary action.
NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, told the website that FIFA has not issued any formal statement.
“What is being reported is merely a tweet from FIFA’s X account, which we do not consider an official communication,” he said.
Source: Getty Images
Bafana currently lead Group C by three points over Benin. A potential points deduction would level the standings and set up a decisive clash between the two sides in Bloemfontein in the final round of qualifiers.
Take a look at the tweet below:
What do FIFA rules say on the issue?
According to FIFA rules, protests must be filed within 24 hours of a match. Lesotho only submitted its several days later, raising doubts about its validity.
The matter gained further traction when the Benin Football Federation lodged an informal complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) via social media.
Both CAF and FIFA have yet to clarify the situation, with Nigeria being the most vocal in demanding a points deduction.
FIFA has previously sanctioned African nations, including Ethiopia and Nigeria, for similar breaches, while Congo-Brazzaville was suspended in February 2025 due to third-party interference in its football federation.
Go through the list of the sanctioned nations in the tweet below:
Sports Minister speaks on the Teboho Mokoena issue
Briefly News previously reported that Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie weighed in on the controversial issue surrounding Bafana Bafana’s possible points deduction by FIFA.
He posted tweets on his official social media account and shared the rules of FIFA. He was responding to a tweet by Benin.
Source: Briefly News
