South Africa reacts to FIFA’s 3-point deduction in World Cup qualifiers

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has strongly rejected FIFA’s decision to deduct three points from its tally in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifying series.

In a statement issued on Monday, SAFA said it was denied the opportunity to defend itself before the ruling was made, describing the decision as “unprecedented.”

The Association further criticized the process, noting that the ruling came from a single-member panel of FIFA’s disciplinary committee without any explanation or legal reasoning.

“As SAFA, we are deeply disappointed with this unprecedented outcome noting that it was delivered by a single-member panel without reasons, and without affording the Association an opportunity to present legal arguments,” the statement read.

FIFA had earlier announced the deduction, reducing South Africa’s points from 17, sparking outrage from the football body in Johannesburg.