Played on March 21, 2025, the match was a part of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament.
By choosing Mokoena, SAFA was judged to have violated both Article 14 of the World Cup 2026 preliminary competition rules and Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
FIFA confirmed that South Africa would have to forfeit the match if Lesotho won 3-0. Mokoena received a warning, while Safa was also forced to pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (£9,000).
FIFA said the parties involved had already been informed of the decision in a statement released on Monday.
It stated, “Today, the parties were informed of the terms of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee’s decision.”
According to the pertinent FDC laws, they have ten days to request a motivated decision, which will then be posted on legal.fifa.com if one is requested. The FIFA Appeal Committee may still hear an appeal of the forfeiture ruling.