According to a report from New York Times, Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has weighed in after South Africa’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie wrote to FIFA over the controversy surrounding Teboho Mokoena’s yellow-card suspension — an administrative lapse that cost Bafana Bafana three points during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
McKenzie sent two letters: one to the South African Football Association (SAFA) and another to FIFA, seeking a full account of how Mokoena, who was suspended at the time, came to be selected for the March qualifier against Lesotho.
FIFA found that the 28-year-old midfielder was ineligible for that match, a ruling that led not only to a three-point deduction but also to a financial penalty for South Africa.
Although the national team recovered on the pitch — earning four points from their final two qualifier games and ultimately topping Group C to clinch automatic World Cup qualification — the episode remains a live issue in Pretoria.
Mokoena publicly expressed his relief after qualification and publicly thanked Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, whose hat-trick played a part in securing South Africa’s spot; yet the lost points and the circumstances that produced them have not been forgotten.
SAFA has stated the matter is closed, but McKenzie has rejected that stance.
In his correspondence to both SAFA and FIFA he demands accountability and a transparent explanation, insisting that those responsible for the administrative error be identified and held to account.
The minister’s move has provoked strong reactions from supporters, some of whom fear that escalating the dispute to FIFA could bring further sanctions.