South Africa will challenge FIFA’s disciplinary ruling that stripped Bafana Bafana of three points and overturned their March World Cup qualifier against Lesotho as a 3–0 forfeit, insiders at the South African Football Association (SAFA) have told AfricaSoccer.com.
The sanction, which also imposed a CHF 10,000 fine and a warning to midfielder Teboho Mokoena, has dropped Bafana from first to second in Group C and reignited the qualifying race.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that South Africa breached Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup preliminary competition regulations by fielding an ineligible player.
As a result, the 2–0 victory recorded on the night in Johannesburg has been declared a 3–0 loss by default.
Although SAFA has yet to issue a public statement, officials familiar with the matter told AfricaSoccer.com the association will request FIFA’s full “motivated decision” within the 10-day window before filing an appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee.
According to the insider, SAFA’s legal team is preparing submissions “as a matter of urgency” and believes there are “mitigating circumstances” around the player’s eligibility status.
For coach Hugo Broos, the ruling reshapes South Africa’s qualification path with only two games remaining.
Internally, the technical staff are said to be planning as if the deduction will stand, while executives focus on the legal battle.
Whether the points can be restored now depends on how quickly the appeal is heard — and on FIFA’s verdict.
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