Teboho Mokoena #4

Profile

One of South Africa’s most essential players since Hugo Broos was appointed manager in May 2021. “Tebza” is as solid as they come in midfield, with pinpoint passing, long-range shots and relentless work rate. He is also a free-kick specialist. Like captain Ronwen Williams, he came up through the ranks at SuperSport United, before joining Sundowns. During qualification for the 2026 World Cup he was at the centre of a scandal which almost cost South Africa a place in the finals when he unwittingly played in a 2-0 win over Lesotho despite being suspended. Fifa handed Lesotho a 3-0 walkover, fined South Africa’s FA £9,300 and issued Mokoena with a warning. He spoke about it last year, telling Radio 2000 about the abuse he and his family had received: “I knew [it would happen] on social media, but when it happened twice at the mall, that’s when it hit me hard. When it happened face-to-face I knew I was going to regret it for the rest of my life … I didn’t even know that I had those yellow cards, so it was very difficult, and I was relieved when we qualified for the World Cup. I was not happy but relieved. It was a tough few months for me, and I was not myself at home … The coach said I shouldn’t blame myself and that we’re all involved and we should have all known.”

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