South Africa have long been one of the most recognizable teams when it comes to the FIFA World Cup. They made their debut in France in 1998, returned in 2002, and later hosted the 2010 tournament, where they delivered a memorable showing.

For the 2026 edition, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, qualification seemed almost certain through the World Cup African Qualifiers — but a looming FIFA sanction could put their spot in jeopardy.

Bafana Bafana currently lead Group C with 17 points, three ahead of Benin, with two matches remaining in October. However, they could be docked three points and see their goal difference drop by six after fielding an ineligible player in their 3-0 win over Lesotho during the September window.

South Africa facing point deduction ov

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