Teboho Mokoena has described the last six months as the most challenging
period of his career, breaking his silence on the yellow card controversy
that nearly derailed South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The ordeal began when Bafana Bafana were docked three points and three goals
for fielding an ineligible Mokoena in a qualifier against Lesotho, a
decision that placed their qualification hopes in serious jeopardy and
sparked a national outcry.
Following the team’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Rwanda that officially sealed
their place in the World Cup, an emotional Mokoena opened up about the
intense personal toll the situation took on him. The Mamelodi Sundowns
midfielder revealed he and his family faced significant backlash from fans
who wrongly blamed him for the administrative error.
“The backlash myself and my family received has been very hard. People were
blaming me for the yellow cards and I couldn’t speak about it. I was going
through a lot — I was not okay,” Mokoena confessed in a post-match
interview.
Despite the immense pressure, Mokoena expressed his relief and happiness at
the team’s ultimate success, paying credit to coach Hugo Broos for his
steadying influence. “I’m very happy. It was an emotional day, I could feel
that we were going to qualify,” he said. “We must give credit to the coach.
He’s been so calm the whole week… And honestly, it’s been the toughest six
months of my career.”
