Respected football analyst and former PSL coach Zipho Dlangalala has warned that many South Africans are underestimating the impact of Teboho Mokoena’s suspension ahead of Bafana Bafana’s crucial FIFA World Cup clash against South Korea.
Bafana head into their make-or-break Group A encounter without one of their most influential players after Mokoena picked up a suspension for accumulated yellow cards.
According to Dlangalala, losing Teboho Mokoena at this stage of the tournament could not have come at a worse time for Bafana Bafana.
“It puzzles me how lightly some people are taking the loss of Teboho Mokoena for this game,” said Dlangalala.
“This couldn’t have come at a worse time. He is the second-highest capped player in the squad and the only player in the team who has participated in four out of five FIFA tournaments.”
The veteran analyst highlighted Mokoena’s wealth of experience, pointing out that he has represented South Africa at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2020 Olympic Games, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and now the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Sometimes I don’t understand how we analyse football. No player is bigger than the team, but every successful team has one or two players who define how they play. For Bafana, Teboho is one of those players,” he added.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos also admitted that Mokoena’s absence will be a major setback, although he backed the rest of his squad to step up.
“We have to be honest, he is a big loss for the team,” said Broos.
“Teboho is a very good player and often decides how we are going to play on the day. He is also a leader on and off the field.”
However, Broos remained confident in his squad depth.
“We are here with 26 players and I believe in all of them. We have full confidence in the player who will replace Mokoena.”
Dlangalala, though, insists he would not try to soften the blow.
“If it was me, I would openly admit that losing him is a huge setback. Of course, I would also say it creates an opportunity for another player to step up and help us get over the line.”
The former coach further explained that while Broos selected several midfielders for different situations, not all players bring the same qualities.
“Broos selected four midfielders because he had a plan. But let’s not pretend all players are the same. I select players because I need them, but they don’t all give you the same dimension. Teboho Mokoena offers something special.”
With Bafana needing a victory to stand a realistic chance of reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time, all eyes will now be on who steps into Mokoena’s shoes on one of the biggest nights in South African football history.