South African political party ActionSA has called for the resignation of South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan, following a damaging points deduction that has jeopardized Bafana Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes.
The controversy stems from South Africa’s March 21, 2025 qualifier against Lesotho, in which SAFA fielded Teboho Mokoena, a player later deemed ineligible. As a result, FIFA imposed a 3-0 forfeit against South Africa and fined the association £9,000 (GBP).
SAFA has announced its intention to appeal the ruling, but the incident has already sparked outrage across the nation and within government. South Africa’s Sports Minister labeled the situation “an embarrassment,” while ActionSA went further, demanding leadership change.
“ActionSA calls for the immediate resignation of SAFA President Danny Jordaan and the dismissal of the official directly responsible for the catastrophic, careless error that has derailed South Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign,” the party said in a statement.
The party also called for the resignation of Bafana Bafana Team Manager Vincent Tseka, citing gross negligence.
Prior to the sanction, South Africa had been leading Group C of the African qualifiers, putting them in strong contention for a World Cup spot. However, the forfeit has dropped them to second place behind Benin, with only two matches remaining. Their fate is now no longer in their own hands.
“Instead of sitting top of Group C with one foot in the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico next year, Bafana now languish in second place,” ActionSA lamented.
The scandal has sparked renewed scrutiny of SAFA’s internal management and could have major implications for the national team’s World Cup journey.
