2026 WCQ: South Africa Risk Potential Points Deduction For Fielding Ineligible Player 

2026 WCQ: South Africa Risk Potential Points Deduction For Fielding Ineligible Player 

Group C leaders in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers, South Africa, risk losing three points in the race for an automatic qualification spot after fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday.

Reports indicate that South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena featured in the match despite having accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers—one against Benin on matchday one and another against Zimbabwe on matchday four.

Despite this, he was included in the starting lineup against Lesotho, playing 82 minutes before being substituted for Thalente Mbatha.

According to FIFA World Cup qualifying regulations, a player who receives two yellow cards is suspended for the following match.

“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,” FIFA stated in the rule book.

South Africa could be penalized with a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, provided the standard six-game suspension rule applies to the 10-match qualification format.

This potential punishment could significantly alter the standings in Group C, where Nigeria is competing for a World Cup spot.

South Africa currently leads the group with 10 points, followed by Benin with eight, Rwanda with seven, and Nigeria in fourth place with six points.