Gayton Mckenzie says those responsible for Safa blunder will still be held accountable

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has formally written to Fifa and the South African Football Association (Safa) as he seeks to get to the bottom of the Teboho Mokoena debacle that almost cost Bafana Bafana their spot at the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

South Africa’s qualifying campaign was thrown into turmoil when Fifa deducted three points after Bafana fielded Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder in the 2–0 win over Lesotho—even though he was meant to serve a suspension for accumulating two yellow cards earlier in the campaign.

The deduction left Bafana needing a final-day result, which they secured emphatically with a 3–0 victory over Rwanda to clinch their place at next year’s tournament.

In a letter written to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, McKenzie accepted responsibility for the administrative failure that precipitated the crisis while stressing that his aim is not to interfere in football administration.

“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.”

McKenzie — who was present when South Africa ended a 23-year wait to return to the World Cup — also told radio sports show Marawa Sports Worldwide that the error was unnecessary and unfair to the players.

“There have been a lot of people saying I need to deal with what is happening with the leadership of Safa,” he continued.

“The boys didn’t just qualify; they did so despite the biggest administrative mistake our country has seen. They had to overcome a massive hurdle that was out of their hands.”

Since taking office, McKenzie has kept close oversight of Safa, setting two clear objectives early in his tenure: qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations later this year and for the World Cup next year.

Both targets were met, but the minister says accountability remains outstanding. He has formally requested a full report from Safa president Dr. Danny Jordaan and CEO Lydia Monyepao about the circumstances that led to the mistake.

Safa had lodged an appeal against the sanction, with President Jordaan later confirming that the matter had been closed. Even so, McKenzie insists further action is required and wants the appeal withdrawn while investigators establish what happened.

“How do we know if someone was paid to do this?” McKenzie asked.

“If we don’t take action, what lessons are we going to learn from what happened? A lot was at stake here—many players had never been to a World Cup, and this would have been their one opportunity. They came close to missing it.”

“What I am saying is that under my ministry this matter will not be swept under the carpet. Whoever is responsible must face the full might of the law. I will do what I need to do as minister.”