By Duncan Mnisi
South Africa – FIFA has confirmed to the South African Football Association (SAFA) that it has opened an investigation into Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
The probe follows concerns over how Mokoena’s suspension was handled, with claims that he featured in a match despite being ineligible.
Mokoena received a yellow card against Benin on November 18, 2023, during South Africa’s World Cup qualifier.
Despite accumulating enough yellow cards to trigger a suspension, he went on to play against Zimbabwe on June 11, 2024, in Bloemfontein.
South Africa currently tops Group C with a three-point lead over Benin.
However, their 2-0 victory against Lesotho is under threat, as FIFA could overturn the result to a 3-0 loss should Mokoena be found guilty of misconduct. Such a decision could severely dent Bafana Bafana’s qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
SAFA Chief Executive Lydia Monyepao confirmed the development, saying:
“We have received confirmation that FIFA will now investigate the Teboho Mokoena matter, and this only came yesterday. We are preparing our response to the FIFA disciplinary committee, which is ultimately required of us as an association.”
She added that, despite the controversy, South Africa remains focused on winning their final two fixtures to secure qualification.
Bafana Bafana will host Zimbabwe on October 6, 2025, before traveling to Nigeria for their last group game.
They must win both matches while hoping Benin drops points in at least one of their remaining fixtures to book their World Cup spot.
Monyepao stressed that the team’s priority is on-the-field performance, saying South Africa is determined to qualify for the 2026 tournament, regardless of the challenges posed by the investigation.
