Teboho Mokoena did not play against Benin in Bafana Bafana's most recent match. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagpix
COMMENT
As the Teboho Mokoena saga continues to unravel, palpable tension has engulfed Bafana Bafana, whose 2026 World Cup qualifying dreams could be scuppered due to the team's administration falling foul of the rules.
The saga has captivated South African football fans, igniting a storm of controversy and uncertainty at a time when national pride is at stake.
Bafana Bafana have been playing with the fervour of champions, striving for glory in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, the unfolding drama raises critical questions about the team's regulatory compliance.
Their recent performances have drawn cheers echoing around stadiums nationwide as supporters rally behind them. Yet, the euphoria generated on the field is tarnished by troubling news.
The Mokoena issue has cast a shadow over the squad, introducing a layer of anxiety in what has otherwise been a largely festive pursuit.
At the heart of the matter is the fact that Mokoena accumulated two yellow cards in matches against Benin (18 November 2023) and Zimbabwe (11 June 2024) before playing in the subsequent match against Lesotho (25 March 2025). He should not have featured in the Lesotho game but instead helped the team secure a 2-0 victory in Polokwane.
These World Cup qualifying matches fall under the jurisdiction of CAF, whose secretariat plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and fairness of matches by informing match officials about suspended players. Before each match, CAF's secretariat is responsible for communicating to designated match commissioners and referees the names of any suspended players, ensuring that they are prohibited from participating.
As susch, the designated match commissioner and match officials receive a list provided by CAF detailing players under suspension and those with yellow cards. It is the match officials’ responsibility to ensure that suspended players do not take part in the game. CAF will sanction any officials who allow a suspended player to participate.
It appears that the match commissioner and match officials were not furnished with this list; otherwise, they would not have allowed Mokoena to play. Bafana Bafana's management also failed to carry out basic administrative duties, allowing the oversight to go unnoticed. Likewise, the opposition, Lesotho, did not detect the blunder.
Two days after the match, Nigeria — one of six countries competing in the Group C qualifier — became aware of the mistake and informed Lesotho, who realised that, under the regulations, they had missed the required timeframe to lodge a protest. A Lesotho official also stated that Nigeria intended to lodge a protest despite missing the stipulated deadline.
Neither Lesotho nor Nigeria have officially announced that they have submitted protests to CAF and Fifa. Certainly, their protests would not have been upheld due to being filed out of time, but both nations remain optimistic that Fifa may take action against South Africa.
If FIFA decides to intervene, Nigeria’s and Lesotho’s positions in the group standings will improve slightly, while South Africa will remain top of the table with four rounds of matches remaining. Only the teams that finish first in their groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup.
It should be noted that, in the past, Fifa has taken action against rule-breakers even in the absence of an official complaint or protest.
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