Heartbreak for South Africa as Key Star Set to Miss Crucial World Cup Match vs South Korea
- South Africa has been dealt a huge blow ahead of their third match against South Korea at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Bafana Bafana secured a vital one point against Czechia in their second match on Thursday, June 18
- South Africa lost their first match to co-hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the tournament
A key South African player will miss Bafana Bafana's decisive Group A clash against South Korea at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico, on June 24.
South Africa secured a valuable 1-1 draw against Czechia after recovering from an early setback at Atlanta Stadium.
Michal Sadílek opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but a much-improved South African side continued to press and were rewarded with a penalty in the 83rd minute, which Teboho Mokoena converted.
Source: Getty Images
The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder became one of the few South Africans to score at the FIFA World Cup, joining a distinguished list of Bafana Bafana goalscorers on football's biggest stage, per GOAL.
Mokoena also enjoyed a standout performance, recording 119 touches against Czechia, the second-highest total by an African player in a World Cup match on record, behind only Geremi Njitap for Cameroon against Saudi Arabia in 2002.
The draw leaves South Africa with one point from two matches after their opening defeat to Mexico, meaning qualification remains possible but will likely depend on victory in their final Group A fixture.
Mokoena to miss South Korea match
Despite his impressive display, Mokoena will be unavailable for South Africa's final group-stage match against South Korea.
Source: Getty Images
The 28-year-old received a yellow card in the first half against Czechia, his second booking of the tournament after also being cautioned in South Africa's opening defeat to Mexico.
Under FIFA regulations, a player who accumulates two yellow cards during the group stage is automatically suspended for one match.
As a result, Mokoena will miss the crucial encounter that could determine whether Bafana Bafana progress to the knockout stages.
South Africa must now attempt to secure a positive result without one of their most influential performers.
Against Czechia, Mokoena completed 93 of his 97 passes, won possession eight times, delivered eight accurate long balls, created five chances, won five duels, made two tackles and registered two shots, underlining his importance to the team, per Sofascore.
Bafana Bafana will conclude the group stage against South Korea on 24 June at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico.
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of fans following the second booking of Mokoena. Read them below:
@November_1FCB said:
"And he is really a pivot in their midfield."
@koningvanheerde wrote:
"Ref did not dish out yellows for the other team on clear fouls."
@Setsibakax added:
"He wanted to win actually.
CAF sends message to South Africa and Nigeria
Legit.ng reported that CAF sent a message to South Africa and Nigeria after reports emerged that FIFA had opened an investigation into Mokoena's ineligibility.
The African football governing body shared a post on social media, including pictures of the two countries’ national teams at previous editions of AFCON.
Source: Legit.ng
