Tebogo Mokoena's yellow card saga sparks demands for full inquiry
Bafana Bafana celebrate after scoring their third goal during their match against Rwanda at Mbombela stadium last week. The emphatic win has seen them qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu / BackpagePix / File
South Africa’s national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, made headlines last week by securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup in America. But their achievement has been overshadowed by a yellow card controversy that saw the team docked three points and three goals in the qualifiers by FIFA.
The saga stems from an administrative error in which South Africa fielded an ineligible player during a match against Lesotho.
Minister calls for accountability
IOL Sport's Pule Makgale reports that Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie took formal action, writing to both FIFA and the South African Football Association (Safa) last Friday, demanding accountability.
In a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, McKenzie apologised on behalf of the South African government and the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture for the “regrettable incident.”
“This administrative oversight, unfortunately, brought South African football into disrepute,” McKenzie wrote. “It is not my intention, nor that of my department, to interfere in the administration of football, which we recognise as the sole purview of Fifa and Safa. However, as a nation, we are deeply committed to upholding the integrity of the game and maintaining South Africa’s reputation on the global stage.”
Traditional leaders demand an investigation
The controversy has also drawn comment from Kgosi Mathupa Mokoena, president of Contralesa (the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa), who called for a full inquiry into the error.
“Contralesa congratulates our National Team for qualifying for the World Cup in America in 2026. We are very proud of our boys,” Mokoena said.
He added: “Contralesa, however, does not agree with Safa that the Tebogo Mokoena saga be ignored and left as such and that we focus on the World Cup. The Tebogo Mokoena saga almost cost South Africa a space in the World Cup.”
Insisting on accountability, Mokoena stressed the need to identify the person responsible for the mistake.
“This will assist in making sure that we know and we tell people not to sleep on the ball,” he said.