McKenzie schools Benin with Fifa rulebook in Bafana-Mokoena row

South African Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has never been one to hold back his words — and on Tuesday, he decided to let the Fifa rulebook do the talking.

The minister aimed his latest jab at the Benin Football Federation, who have now joined the chorus of voices calling for Bafana Bafana to be docked points in the ongoing Teboho Mokoena saga.

The controversy stems from Bafana’s decision to field the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder in a March qualifier against Lesotho, despite the fact that he had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the campaign. While Fifa has yet to pronounce on the matter, the threat of a points deduction has kept South Africa’s World Cup hopes hanging in the balance.

Benin, sensing an opportunity to close the gap in Group C, took to their official X account to press their case.

“Thank you @CAF_Online for congratulating on our victory! We kindly request a fair review: please reconsider the three-point deduction against South Africa and respect suspension rules. Let the spirit of the game decide qualification,” the post read.

Benin’s plea is not without motive. They currently trail Bafana by just three points with two games to play, and a Fifa sanction could blow the group wide open heading into the final round of fixtures.

McKenzie, never shy of a headline, fired back with a sharp dose of sarcasm. 

Posting a screenshot of Fifa’s disciplinary code, the minister simply captioned it: “Read slowly and repeatedly.”

The response quickly went viral, with fans applauding the minister’s cheeky defiance at a time when nerves are fraying over Bafana’s qualifying fate.

For now, South Africa remain in control of their destiny. But until Fifa makes a ruling, the Mokoena saga continues to swirl — and McKenzie seems determined to keep the fight as entertaining as it is serious.