South Africa’s aspirations to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been severely compromised following a ruling by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. The committee found that the South African national team violated competition regulations by fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March. Mokoena, a 28-year-old midfielder, was supposed to serve a suspension after accumulating two yellow cards in previous matches. As a consequence, FIFA has imposed a 3-0 forfeit on South Africa, fined the South African Football Association (Safa) 10,000 Swiss Francs ($12,500), and issued a warning to Mokoena. This decision has dramatically reshaped the standings in Group C of the African World Cup qualifiers. South Africa, previously leading the group, has now dropped to second place, trailing Benin on goal difference. The outcome has also reignited the hopes of Nigeria and Rwanda, who are now just three points behind the top two teams. With the final rounds of qualifiers scheduled for October 10-14, Benin will face Rwanda and Nigeria, while South Africa will play Zimbabwe and host Rwanda. Safa has a 10-day window to appeal FIFA’s decision, but the road to the World Cup has undoubtedly become more challenging for Bafana Bafana.