Bafana Bafana Blunder: Team Manager Vincent Tseka Escapes Blame Despite Costly FIFA Points Deduction
Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka has dodged major fallout from a major slip-up that saw FIFA strip the national side of three vital points in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The error, which involved playing an ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho, could have derailed South Africa’s hopes of making it to the global showpiece. Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, who once called for heads to roll, now says he is okay with SAFA’s story and has given a final warning without naming names. But sports expert Nqobile Ndlovu slams this as a sign of no real responsibility, warning it hurts football’s growth when big mistakes go unpunished. As fans fume over the lost points, this mess highlights ongoing woes in SA football admin, raising questions on how to fix slip-ups that cost the country dear.
This incident not only dents Bafana’s qualifier standings but also shakes trust in the setup running the team. With the 2026 World Cup in sight, many wonder if such blunders will keep SA on the sidelines. McKenzie’s shift from tough talk to leniency has sparked debate, while analysts push for stricter checks to avoid repeats. For young players dreaming big, it is a reminder that off-field mess-ups can steal the spotlight from on-pitch heroics.
The Background to Bafana’s Administrative Nightmare
The trouble started in the early stages of South Africa’s push for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. Bafana Bafana kicked off their qualifiers strong, aiming for a spot after missing out in 2022. But a simple oversight in tracking player bookings turned a win into a loss on paper, showing how small errors can have big fallout in international football.
FIFA rules are clear: players with too many yellow cards cannot play until they serve a ban. Teams must check this before each game, or face penalties like point deductions. SAFA, the body running local football, has faced heat before for admin slips, like paperwork woes that kept teams out of tournaments. This latest gaffe adds to a pattern, making fans question if lessons get learned.
The deduction dropped Bafana in their group standings, making the road to qualification tougher. With tough rivals like Nigeria and Benin in Group C, every point counts. Coach Hugo Broos has kept the team focused, but off-field drama like this can shake morale and draw unwanted spotlight.
The Ineligible Player Fiasco: Teboho Mokoena’s Costly Cameo
The blunder happened during Bafana’s 2-0 win over Lesotho on 21 March 2025 in an African qualifier. Midfielder Teboho Mokoena started the game, but he should not have – he had picked up a second yellow card in the previous match against Zimbabwe on 11 June 2024, making him banned for one game.
Lesotho protested right after, and FIFA looked into it. On 29 September 2025, world football’s bosses confirmed the sanction: three points gone, turning the win into a 3-0 loss for SA on record.
They also fined SAFA CHF 10,000 (about R200,000). SAFA appealed, but it got turned down, sealing the punishment.
Mokoena, a key player for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana, said sorry publicly, but the damage was done. The slip cost valuable ground in the qualifiers, where only group winners go straight through, and runners-up fight in playoffs. Fans were gutted, with many blaming poor admin for robbing the team of hard-earned points.
SAFA’s Explanation: Tseka’s Ice Run and the Missed Yellow
SAFA pinned the blame on a mix-up in tracking bookings. Team manager Vincent Tseka, in charge of player status and travel, reportedly left the stadium during the Zimbabwe game to fetch ice for the team. As a result, he missed seeing Mokoena get his second yellow card, which triggered the ban.
Tseka’s job includes keeping tabs on such details and telling the coach. But with him away, the info slipped through, and Mokoena played against Lesotho. SAFA boss Danny Jordaan called it a “human error” in talks with the minister, promising better systems like digital trackers to avoid repeats.
Critics question if this holds water – match reports come out right after games, so why was it missed? But McKenzie bought it, saying it explained the oversight without pointing fingers hard.
Minister Gayton McKenzie’s U-Turn: From Fury to Final Warning
McKenzie started strong, vowing no cover-up for the blunder. “SAFA’s administrative blunder will not be swept under the carpet,” he said back in September 2025, calling for full accountability. He met with SAFA bosses to get the facts, pushing for answers on who dropped the ball.
But after hearing the ice-run story, McKenzie softened. He now says he is “satisfied” with SAFA’s reasons and has issued a final written warning, though he did not say to whom – Tseka, Jordaan, or the whole team. “It’s very difficult to believe that that was the reasoning and that based on that, it was accepted,” analyst Ndlovu fired back on radio.
McKenzie’s shift has drawn heat, with some saying it shows weak oversight. As sports minister, he funds SAFA with millions yearly, so his role in pushing fixes matters. He has promised more checks on national teams, but critics want real consequences to build trust.
Analyst Nqobile Ndlovu’s Sharp Take: No Accountability Hurts the Game
Sports commentator Nqobile Ndlovu did not mince words on Marawa Sports Worldwide, calling the explanation flimsy and the lack of punishment a bad sign. “Even if he had not been there, the fact that he didn’t know even afterwards and failed to record the yellow card and inform the team is problematic,” he said.
Ndlovu warned this sets a low bar: “It says that there is no accountability because an incident like this… there is a lot of money at stake… [if] someone can make an excuse that ‘I was going to get ice’, it says to people that we don’t really care, we can do what we want.” With World Cup spots bringing big cash and pride, such slips could cost SA dearly.
He ties it to wider SAFA woes, like past qualifier bans over paperwork. Ndlovu calls for pro systems, like dedicated compliance teams, to match top nations. Without it, he says, SA football stays stuck, missing chances to shine globally.
What This Means for Bafana’s 2026 World Cup Hopes
The points hit drops Bafana in their group, making qualification tougher. They now need strong wins in remaining games against Uganda, South Sudan, and Congo to top the standings. Coach Broos has rallied the team, saying they will fight harder to make up the loss.
But the blunder hurts morale and draws bad press at a key time. With the expanded 2026 Cup offering more African spots (up to 10), SA still has a shot, but no room for more errors. Fans hope this wakes SAFA up to tighten admin, ensuring the players’ hard work on the field does not go to waste.
Calls for Better Accountability in SA Football
This mess has sparked wider talks on fixing SAFA. Groups like the PSL and fans want independent checks on national team ops, perhaps through a sports ombudsman. McKenzie’s warning is a start, but many say heads should roll to show seriousness.
For Tseka, being “off the hook” means no firing, but the spotlight stays on. As Bafana gears up for their next Test against Scotland on 9 November, the focus shifts back to the pitch. But off-field fixes are key to avoid more heartaches. South Africans deserve a team that wins fair and square, without admin slip-ups stealing the show.
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