Players’ union defends Teboho Mokoena, demands full payment for sanctioned Lesotho match

The South African Football Players’ Union (SAFPU) has turned its guns on the South African Football Association (SAFA) while exonerating Teboho Mokoena from blame following FIFA’ sanctions.

South Africans are licking their wounds after Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualification hopes were thrown in disarray following a three-point deduction from FIFA over the fielding of Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mokoena against Lesotho on March 21 when he was supposed to be suspended for the match.

Bafana Bafana therefore find themselves level on 14 points with Benin, but with a +3-goal difference to the Squirrels’ +4, heading into the two final qualification matches while Nigeria and Rwanda, both in 11 points, now have a chance.

This is after Hugo Broos’ men had been occupying top spot with 17 points with a healthy goal difference and now must win their two matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda while ensuring they outscore Benin to make it to the World Cup.

Players’ union: ‘Hands off Teboho Mokoena’

The embarrassing situation has left fans and pundits searching for answers over whom to blame for the anomaly with some questioning why Mokoena decided to play when he was suspended but the players’ union has dismissed this observation, saying the midfielder is being used to cover up SAFA’s failings.

“Hands off Teboho Mokoena”, SAFPU said in a strongly-worded statement. “The duty to track bookings, suspensions and player eligibility belongs to the federation, not the player.”

“To even insinuate that Mokoena, who shoulders the demands of club and country week after week, should police his own disciplinary record is grossly irresponsible and deeply abusive. This fiasco is a result of institutional negligence at SAFA,” the statement further read.

SAFPU has pointed the finger of blame at Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka for failing to do his job, saying his failure to spot the anomaly exposes how incompetent those who run South African football are.

Bafana TM blamed for ‘sleeping on the job’

“FIFA does not provide lists of suspensions before every game. But what does it say about our football governance when we must rely on Zurich to alert us to our own responsibilities? Tracking cards is not a favour- it is a duty,” added SAFPU.

“For SAFA and the Team Manager Mr Vincent Tseka to fail at something so fundamental exposes a department asleep at the wheel, distracted, and unfit for purpose. The question we ask is what repercussions will be faced by those involved who are tasked with this process?”

It does not end there as the players’ union also wants SAFA to ensure the Bafana Bafana stars are paid their full dues for the match in question as they did their duty for the nation.

What else is SAFPU demanding?

𝑺𝑨𝑭𝑨 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝑪𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻 – 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒈𝒐 ❗️

🔴Media Release🔴#safpu#defendingplayers@SABC_Sport @OfficialPSL @SAFA_net @Newzroom405 @eNCA pic.twitter.com/2AzyC1igEt

— South African Football Players Union (@SAFPU_Official) September 30, 2025

“We demand that players’ match bonuses and entitlements from the Lesotho fixture be honoured. The players delivered victory on the pitch, their contract for the nation was fulfilled,” SAFPU said over the game that Broos’ men initially won 2-0.

“To rob them of their remuneration because the administrators failed to meet their own duties would be to punish the victims while shielding the culprits. And we must ask: How special are these culprits that they are protected above players’ efforts and the aspirations of the nation?”

SAFPU has called on SAFA president Danny Jordaan to take decisive action on the matter to deter future blunders like those.