BREAKING: FIFA officially issues a 0-3 forfeit decision

FIFA has penalized South Africa with a 0-3 defeat in a World Cup qualifier for fielding a player who was not eligible to play.

The South African national team was handed a 0-3 loss against Lesotho in the 2026 World Cup African qualifiers by FIFA because of an infraction involving the "use of an ineligible player."

The match, held in March 2025, originally ended with a 2-0 victory for South Africa. Later, FIFA discovered that midfielder Teboho Mokoena participated despite being suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.

This action was deemed a serious violation of Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the 2026 World Cup qualifying regulations. Consequently, FIFA imposed a 0-3 forfeit loss on South Africa. Additionally, the South African Football Association was fined 10,000 Swiss francs, and player Teboho Mokoena received a formal warning from FIFA.

This sanction demonstrates FIFA's readiness to strictly enforce rules regarding the improper use of players. Reflecting on the case where Malaysia fielded seven naturalized players illegally against Vietnam in June 2025, the 0-3 forfeit remains a pending penalty for Malaysia.

However, it is very likely that FIFA has not yet issued a penalty for Malaysia in this match because the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers fall under the jurisdiction of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Once FIFA’s decision takes effect, the AFC Disciplinary Committee will review and decide on the violations committed by the Malaysian Football Association in their game against Vietnam.

According to regulations, the Malaysian Football Association and the involved players have 10 days to request a detailed decision and may appeal to FIFA’s Appeals Committee under current rules. If the appeal fails, Malaysia will face a 0-3 forfeit loss in all matches where the seven ineligible naturalized players were used. This includes four wins against Nepal (2-0), Vietnam (4-0), Singapore (2-1), and Palestine (1-0).