The day Teboho Mokoena scored for Bafana Bafana at the 2002 World Cup
Teboho Mokoena shoots and scores during Bafana Bafana's 2002 World Cup opener against Paraguay. Photo: Greg Wood/AFP
Image: Greg Wood/AFP
Long before Teboho Mokoena became a key figure in Bafana Bafana’s return to the World Cup, another Teboho Mokoena represented the nation on football’s biggest stage.
In 2002, the Jomo Sono-coached Bafana Bafana went to the World Cup in South Korea and Japan hoping for an improved tournament than four years earlier.
One of the players in the squad was 27-year-old Teboho Mokoena, a former Jomo Cosmos star who at the time was playing for Swiss club FC St Gallen. And much like today’s Mokoena, he was a deeper lying playmaker with an eye for goal.
In Bafana’s opening game of the tournament against Paraguay, the South Americans raced to a 2-0 lead through Bayern Munich’s Roque Santa Cruz and right back Francisco Arce. When South Africa needed a hero, Mokoena stepped up and fired the ball into the net from the edge of the 18-yard area. It did, however, take a massive deflection on its way into the goal.
Bafana Bafana would grab a deserved point when Manchester United’s Quinton Fortune converted a stoppage time penalty to make it 2-2.
They beat Slovenia 1-0 in their second game courtesy of an early Siyabonga Nomvethe goal, and needed just a draw from their game against Spain to advance to the next round. Unfortunately, the Spaniards were too good, and earned a 3-2 win, knocking Bafana out of the tournament.
Mokoena was so essential to Bafana’s plans that he played the full 90 minutes in all three games.
South Africa's Teboho Mokoena is tackled by Spain's Fernando Morientes during the two countries' clash at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Photo: Jimin Lai/AFP
Image: Jimin Lai/AFP
After the World Cup, Mokoena returned to his former club, Jomo Cosmos, and after two years, sealed a move to Mamelodi Sundowns, where his namesake plays today. He went back to Cosmos, spent some time at Bidvest Wits before calling time on his career after a season with Mpumalanga Black Aces in 2010.
After retiring, Mokoena founded the Teboho Mokoena Sports and Development Foundation in Ekurhuleni, working with young players in the East Rand.
Despite a brief international career that saw him earn 27 international caps, Mokoena will be best remembered for playing a key role for Bafana Bafana at the World Cup, and for scoring that goal. And with the team returning to the global stage next year, the new Mokoena, who was just 5 years old in 2002, will be hoping to have such an impact on the team.
IOL Sport