Likely Bafana are ‘off the hook’ on Mokoena saga
Fifa’s latest disciplinary report makes no mention of case that threatens SA’s World Cup campaign
by Sihle Ndebele · TimesLIVESports lawyer Mandla Tshabalala believes Bafana Bafana are off the hook after they were not included in Fifa's recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers disciplinary and ethics report for fielding Teboho Mokoena when he was a defaulter.
On Friday Fifa released a disciplinary overview report for the 2026 qualifiers, as is the norm after every Fifa international date — and of the 41 matches included in the report, Bafana's game against Lesotho in March, where Mokoena was fielded though suspended, was not listed. The report covers the period from July 1 last year to June this year.
Bafana started Mokoena in their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane in March when he should have served an automatic one-game suspension after accumulating two yellow cards in the previous games in Group C of the African qualifiers.
“We can safely say Bafana are safe because their matter would have fallen under a protest, meaning someone needed to protest the fielding of ineligible players, and they didn't protest,” Tshabalala told Sowetan on Tuesday.
“There's a high possibility Fifa isn't even considering the matter because no-one followed proper processes of lodging a complaint,” said Tshabalala
“The Bafana game was in March and the investigations [covered in the report] were the complaints up until June 2025. So Bafana should have been included in the report if Fifa wanted to sanction them. I believe we are off the hook.”
Bafana top Group C with 17 points, three ahead of second-placed Benin, with two rounds of fixtures left.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos has maintained that because Lesotho did not protest the fielding of Mokoena, Fifa should not dock his team points. South Africa’s group opponents — especially Nigeria and Benin — had pressurised the world football governing body to do so.
A few hours before last week’s 1-1 draw against Nigeria at Free State Stadium, Fifa seemed to drop a hint Bafana were not going to be punished, posting on their official X page that South Africa would qualify for the World Cup if they beat the Super Eagles and Benin fail to beat Lesotho later that day.
However, there has not been any official word from Fifa, despite Bafana’s group opponents repeatedly asking that the matter be finalised.
The Lesotho FC, which sent a query after the deadline for a protest had lapsed, has not had its query acknowledged with an official reply, while it is unclear if Nigeria and Rwanda have sent official complaints on the matter.