Finally: Gayton McKenzie reveals how Teboho Mokoena’s second yellow card was missed
Sports minister Gayton McKenzie has drawn a line under Teboho Mokoena's yellow card blunder that threatened Bafana Bafana's World Cup qualification. Photo: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Image: Tumi Pakkies/Independent Newspapers
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has revealed how SAFA officials overlooked Teboho Mokoena’s second yellow card against Zimbabwe – a blunder that threatened to derail Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Bafana Bafana were cruising through the qualifiers earlier this year when it was discovered that Mokoena should not have played against Lesotho and should have been serving a suspension for picking up two yellow cards.
As a result, Hugo Broos’ men were docked three points after their 2-1 win over Lesotho was overturned into a 3-0 loss, and they dropped to second place in Group C. This meant their fate was no longer in their own hands.
On the final day of qualifiers, the stars aligned – South Africa beat Rwanda 3-0, and Nigeria’s 4-0 win over Benin sent Bafana Bafana to the top of the group and to the World Cup in North America.
While SAFA declared the matter closed after Bafana Bafana secured qualification, McKenzie wanted answers. On Tuesday afternoon, he relayed to South Africa what he had been told by SAFA.
“I gave SAFA seven days to give us answers to ensure that this never happens again, and they complied with my request,” McKenzie said at a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“They provided me with a very comprehensive report after their investigation, and I can report today that we now have full clarity on what happened,” he added.
“The report confirms that this was not an act of negligence or sabotage, but rather a strange and highly unusual set of coincidences. The two yellow cards issued to Teboho Mokoena came 16 months apart – an almost unheard-of gap.
“Team manager Vincent Tseka, who has taken full responsibility for the oversight, was not present when the second card was issued as he had left the field to fetch ice for the players. That extraordinary coincidence tells us something deeper: that our national team is operating under immense strain, with far too few hands doing far too much work,” McKenzie continued.
“Despite their results on the field, Bafana Bafana are still under-resourced. That’s the uncomfortable truth.”
McKenzie said Tseka should not be made a scapegoat and expressed confidence that the blunder would not be repeated.
In closing, McKenzie said the incident should serve as a turning point for South African football administration. He emphasised the need for stronger systems, better staffing, and greater investment in the national team setup to ensure that on-field success is matched by professionalism and efficiency off it.
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