CAPE TOWN, Sept 30 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- South Africa will have three points deducted in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player, the country's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed on Monday, reported Xinhua.
FIFA has also imposed a fine of 10,000 Swiss Francs (about US$12,540) on the South African Football Association (SAFA), according to a ruling by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee released on Monday.
"This development is deeply regrettable and has brought embarrassment to our nation and the game of football. We acknowledge that this situation has brought South Africa into disrepute, and we must take full responsibility for addressing it," said McKenzie in a statement.
He, however, thanked FIFA for its swift action and for not making the country wonder and wait in agony about its fate.
He added that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) will launch an investigation into the "incompetence" that led to the FIFA sanction.
South Africa's national men's football team, dubbed Bafana Bafana, fielded midfielder Teboho Mokoena in their World Cup qualifier against Lesotho on March 21, despite the 28-year-old being on a one-match suspension for accumulating two yellow cards.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruled the match forfeited by South Africa with a 3-0 scoreline and issued Mokoena a warning. SAFA has 10 days to appeal the decision.
As a result, Bafana Bafana dropped to second in Group C of the African qualifiers, behind Benin on goal difference.
But South Africa remains in pole position to qualify with upcoming matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
In the statement, McKenzie emphasised that the country's immediate focus would now be to support the national team as they prepare for the final two matches in Durban and Mbombela.
"This deduction is but a bump in the road, and we believe that we remain firmly on track for qualification; our belief in the team's ability to succeed is unshaken," the minister added.
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