Complete timeline of the Teboho Mokoena saga: How a yellow card could impact Bafana Bafana’s World Cup hopes
Saga Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena is at the centre of a saga that could result in Hugo Broos' team losing three points from their World Cup qualification campaign. Photo: Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Image: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana are cruising through the World Cup qualifiers with a healthy lead over second-place Rwanda, but their bid to reach next year’s showpiece in North America hangs in the balance.
Despite holding a five-point advantage in Group C, a potential points deduction looms over Bafana following the fielding of Teboho Mokoena in their last game against Lesotho, when he should have been serving a suspension.
With the matter still under FIFA’s review, the controversy has cast a shadow over Bafana’s progress. IOL Sport provides a timeline of the saga that now threatens to derail South Africa’s qualification campaign.
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18 November 2023: Mokoena is shown a yellow card in their opening qualifier against Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. They win the match 2-1.
11 June 2024: In their fourth game of qualifiers, South Africa meet Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. In the game, Mokoena is shown a yellow card in the 52nd minute. According to FIFA’s regulations, a player who accumulates two yellow cards in separate matches must serve a one-match suspension. Bafana win the game against Zimbabwe 3-1.
21 March 2025: Almost 500 days after his initial yellow card, and 283 days after his second, Mokoena plays against Lesotho in Polokwane, with Bafana Bafana winning the game 2-0. When it finally registers with the Lesotho FA that Mokoena played when he should have been serving a suspension, over 48 hours had passed, meaning they had missed the deadline to lodge a complaint to FIFA or CAF.
25 March 2025: Mokoena sits out the game against Benin. Bafana win 2-0 and every other team in the group drops points. As a result of the win, South Africa’s lead grows to five points, and Hugo Broos’ men start to believe that they can book their place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
3 June 2025: Speaking in front of the portfolio committee for sport in Parliament two months ago, SAFA executive member Poobie Govindasamy said the issue was still being looked at by FIFA, and they would only act once the outcome was known.
4 September 2025: On 4 September 2025, two months short of two years after the initial yellow card, Lesotho Football Association secretary general Mokhosi Mohapi expresses concerns regarding Mokoena’s potential selection for their upcoming qualifier in Bloemfontein.
IOL Sport