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SOUTH AFRICA PENALIZED BY FIFA FOR FIELDING INELIGIBLE PLAYER IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER In a major development in African football, South Africa has been sanctioned by FIFA for fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The match, held on March 21, 2025, saw midfielder Teboho Mokoena take the field despite being suspended due to accumulating two yellow cards in previous matches. This oversight has now resulted in a significant penalty for the South African Football Association (SAFA) and has major implications for the team’s World Cup qualification prospects. FIFA’S DECISION AND PENALTIES FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee confirmed that South Africa violated the regulations governing player eligibility by fielding Mokoena. In accordance with the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the committee reversed the match result, awarding Lesotho a 3-0 victory. Consequently, South Africa lost the three points it had originally earn...

2026 FIFA WORLD CUP: WHO'S QUALIFIED AND WHAT COMES NEXT The race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is gathering pace, and the picture is becoming clearer with several nations already booking their places. The tournament, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will be the first in history to feature 48 teams. NATIONS ALREADY QUALIFIED HOSTS: United States, Mexico, and Canada. SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Colombia. ASIA: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. OCEANIA: New Zealand. AFRICA: Morocco and Tunisia. That makes a total of 18 teams confirmed so far, including world champions Argentina, record-holders Brazil, and African trailblazers Morocco. THE ROAD AHEAD With more than half the slots still available, qualification battles across the continents are reaching boiling point. AFRICA: Giants like Nigeria, Egypt, and Senegal are still in the fight. The expanded format means more African repres...