The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed it will lodge an official appeal against FIFA’s decision to dock Bafana Bafana three points in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The disciplinary ruling, announced earlier this week, has thrown South Africa’s qualification campaign into jeopardy. FIFA’s sanction reportedly stems from an alleged breach of player eligibility regulations during one of Bafana Bafana’s recent matches. The governing body maintains that the points must be awarded to the opposing team, significantly altering the Group standings.
In a March 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho, South Africa fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, for which FIFA punished them with a three-point deduction.
SAFA, however, insists that it complied fully with FIFA rules and has described the punishment as “unfair and disproportionate.” The association said its legal team is already preparing submissions to the FIFA Appeals Committee in a bid to overturn the decision.
Reacting to the verdict, SAFA, in a statement on Monday (via citizen.co.za), wrote: “As SAFA, we are deeply disappointed with this unprecedented outcome, noting that it was delivered by a single-member panel without reasons, and without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments.
“The Association confirms that we have requested written reasons for the judgment and intend to lodge a formal appeal with the FIFA Appeals Committee within the prescribed 10-day period under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.”
SAFA added: “The Association emphasises its continued commitment to supporting Bafana Bafana in their qualification campaign.
“The players and the technical team have worked extremely hard to reach this stage, and we remain focused on ensuring they secure maximum points in the matches ahead.
“We apologise to the nation for this administrative oversight and will reflect on the steps to take at the conclusion of our qualifying campaign.”
The FIFA Appeals Committee will review SAFA’s submission in the coming weeks. If the appeal fails, South Africa could escalate the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), though that process could stretch deep into the qualification window.
