Article by Maria Olteanu – published Monday, September 29, 2025, 6:05 pm / Updated Monday, September 29, 20:06
International Football Federation (FIFA) canceled the victory of South Africa from the preliminaries of the 2026 World Cup for unjustified use of a player. Thus, the country lost first place in the group, and Benin climbed the first position. The South Africa selected the central defender of FCSB, Siybonga Ngezana (28 years).
FIFA decided that South Africa would lose at the green table, score 0-3, the match with Lesotho, which he had won 2-0 in March. The representative used a suspended player, in March, which attracted the loss of the match. The submission could be synonymous with the failure to participate in the final tournament next summer.
South Africa, deposited in the preliminaries CM 2026
The reason why South Africa has been penalized is the use of Teboho Mokoea midfielder, who should have been suspended, according to Sport.Aaktuality.sk. Mokoena would not normally have the right to play at the match, as he had received two yellow cards, which would have been equivalent to a suspension stage.
The South African national admitted that it was an error, but FIFA did not take any disciplinary measures against it, which is why the other teams in the group struggling for the first position said their dissatisfaction. Finally, the case was analyzed, and South Africa sanctioned as it would have been normal.
The decision means that Benin took over the leadership in group C in front of South Africa. Both teams have the same number of points, but Benin has a better goal. Nigeria and Rwanda are three points in the back.
South Africa will play the last two matches in Zimbabwe (October 10) and Rwandei (October 14). Benin will play in Rwanda and Nigeria.
At the 2026 World Championship, only the team from the first place is directly qualified, which is why the stakes of that match is a very important one
For Benin, a participation in the World Championship would be a historical premiere. This nation also participated in a major event last time in 2019, when it reached the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup on the nations.
South Africa was present at the World Championship three times, the last time as a host in 2010. At the last edition of the Africa Cup (2023), it ranked third.
FCSB has to win, if Ngezana qualifies at CM 2026
At the previous final tournament of 2022, FIFA rewarded the clubs with 325,000 euros for each player who participated in the World Cup.
According to official estimates, this amount will increase to approximately 600,000 euros for CM 2026 and CM 2030. Thus, if NGESANA will qualify with South Africa, FCSB will be able to collect 600,000 euros, exactly how much the team paid from Kaizer Chiefs in 2023.
The same situation in the case of David Kiki, the left defender of the Benin national team, who arrived at FCSB in the summer of 2024 from Farul Constanța.
