FIFA have confirmed that South Africa’s 1-0 win over Spain will stand, despite La Roja fielding more than the permitted number of substitutes.
The friendly international in Johannesburg was rumoured as set to be downgraded to a practice match, after officials allowed Spain to make a seventh substitution after Victor Valdes had been injured.
However, whilst this move was in contravention of FIFA regulations for A internationals, the governing body have verified that the result will stand as official, caps will be recognised and ranking points awarded to South Africa.
“"FIFA can confirm that the South Africa-Spain friendly match remains an 'A' international, despite the fact that Spain allegedly used more than the maximum of six substitutes that the laws of the game stipulate can be used for such a match,” FIFA released in a statement today.
“FIFA have taken into account that both teams had agreed on the conditions of the match and submitted the necessary documentation prior to the match in order for FIFA to confirm it as an 'A' international.
“In this context, South Africa shall not suffer any negative consequences on its part for adhering to the agreed conditions and only using up to a maximum of six substitutes during the match.
“Regarding the alleged incident of Spain using more than the maximum of six substitutes, FIFA is currently analysing the information at our disposal to assess possible next steps.”
The news has not prevented Spain from holding on to top spot in the FIFA World Rankings for a 26th consecutive month, with the latest list released today.
