South Africa Loses 2026 World Cup Qualifier Due to Ineligible Player
FIFA revoked South Africa's World Cup qualifying win against Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player. This decision puts Benin at the top of the group, impacting South Africa's chances to qualify. A crucial administrative error by South Africa's soccer leadership has highlighted the stakes in upcoming matches.
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South Africa faced a significant setback on Monday as FIFA revoked its win in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho. The team was penalized for fielding Teboho Mokoena, an ineligible player, which resulted in the loss of the top spot in its group.
This disciplinary action elevates Benin to the leading position with only two rounds left, offering Nigeria a renewed chance of reaching the finals. South Africa, having not participated in a World Cup since hosting in 2010, is now under pressure ahead of upcoming critical matches.
The incident is particularly embarrassing given that South Africa's top soccer official, Patrice Motsepe, is a FIFA vice president. As a corrective measure, FIFA plans to forfeit the previous 2-0 victory to a 3-0 loss and has imposed a fine on South Africa's soccer federation.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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- South Africa
- FIFA
- World Cup
- qualifying
- Lesotho
- Teboho Mokoena
- Benin
- Nigeria
- Patrice Motsepe
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