W’Cup Qualifiers: South Africa escapes FIFA sanctions amid Mokoena controversy

The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup took a surprising turn this week as FIFA released its latest list of disciplinary sanctions for national associations involved in the qualifiers and South Africa was notably absent.

The four-page document, detailing penalties for various teams, included countries such as Qatar, Indonesia, and Argentina, who faced punishments for infractions during the qualifying rounds. However, the South African Football Association (SAFA) was left untouched, despite ongoing controversy surrounding the eligibility of midfielder Teboho Mokoena.

The omission has reignited debate among fans and analysts about the potential impact of the Mokoena saga on Group C and South Africa’s path to the World Cup.

The case against South Africa
Nigeria and Benin have both lodged formal protests after South Africa’s 2–0 win over Lesotho in March, arguing that Mokoena should have been suspended for accumulated yellow cards.

The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder was first cautioned in the 54th minute of South Africa’s 2–1 victory over Benin in November 2023, then again in the 52nd minute during their 3–1 win over Zimbabwe in June 2024.

By FIFA’s own rulebook, that sequence should have ruled him out of the Lesotho clash.

“If players or team officials receive two cautions in one match (in matches decided by penalties) or in two different matches of the competition, they will be automatically suspended from their team’s subsequent match,” the regulations state.

Instead, Mokoena started against Lesotho, playing 82 minutes before being replaced by Thalente Mbatha. His inclusion has fueled calls for South Africa to forfeit the three points and suffer a 3–0 technical defeat.

If such a sanction were enforced, Bafana Bafana would drop from 17 points to 14, level with Benin, and within striking distance of Nigeria, who currently sit third with 11 points.

With just two games remaining in the qualifiers, the consequences could be seismic. Africa’s nine automatic World Cup tickets will be decided by the group winners, with four best runners-up advancing to inter-confederation play-offs. Any points deduction for South Africa could reopen Group C and breathe life into Nigeria’s faltering campaign.

Contrast: Equatorial Guinea’s fall
The silence around South Africa contrasts sharply with the fate of Equatorial Guinea, whose campaign was derailed after FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled they had fielded an ineligible player.

Despite turning out for Equatorial Guinea for over a decade, striker Emilio Nsue was found never to have secured proper clearance to switch allegiance from Spain, where he had represented youth sides. The result: FIFA docked six points, overturning 1–0 wins over Namibia and Liberia into 3–0 technical losses.

That punishment dropped Equatorial Guinea from second place in Group H with 16 points to fifth with 10, dramatically reshaping the standings and boosting Namibia’s qualification hopes. CAS upheld the ruling in May, reinforcing FIFA’s stance on eligibility breaches.

The newly released list confirmed a range of other disciplinary measures:

Qatar; received a formal warning on June 4, 2025, for misconduct by players and officials, with no financial penalty attached.
Indonesia; were warned for lapses in order and security at a World Cup qualifier.
In January, Argentina were fined $20,000 and hit with a two-match suspension for a player found guilty of disciplinary breaches, one of the most severe sanctions in the updated report.

None of these cases, however, directly influence Group C; making the omission of South Africa all the more striking.

For Nigeria, the issue could be decisive. The Super Eagles, sitting on 11 points, still have to play both Lesotho and Benin in their final fixtures. Victories there, combined with a potential points deduction for South Africa, could catapult them back into contention, either as group winners or as one of Africa’s best runners-up.

The current runners-up standings are tight: Gabon lead with 19 points, followed by Madagascar and DR Congo (16), and a cluster including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Namibia and Uganda (15 each). Benin sit on 14, while Nigeria lurk just behind.

Despite the mounting protests, FIFA’s updated sanctions list makes no reference to South Africa. Bafana Bafana remain top of Group C on 17 points, their route to a first World Cup since 2010 still firmly in their own hands.

But with two matchdays to go, and precedent from Equatorial Guinea’s punishment still fresh, the Mokoena affair lingers as a potential thunderclap in Africa’s qualification race.

For Nigeria and Benin, the wait continues. For South Africa, the silence; for now, is golden.