South African football legend has urged the country's football authorities to apologise to the nation for the embarrassment caused by fielding an ineligible player.
Despite Bafana Bafana’s strong performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, this controversy has overshadowed their achievements.
South Africa top Group C of the CAF qualifiers with 13 points, Benin and Rwanda are on eight points each, while Nigeria have seven.
Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has weighed on the issue surrounding South Africa fielding Teboho Mokoena despite being ineligible to play.
According to Goal, the Kaizer Chiefs legend said someone in the South Africa Football Association must apologise to the nation.
The 37-year-old recalled a similar incident that happened in 2011 where they missed out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) per SoccerLaduma. He said a mail was sent to the Football Association from CAF stating that head-to-head does not qualify.
He said: “Someone must be accountable, and someone must come out and say to the nation, "I'm sorry that I've cost the national team the three points and the three goals".
"Same thing that is happening right now, being deducted three points and three goals after so much hard work that was put in; someone must be held accountable. Because we can't keep on taking 10 steps forward and taking 20 steps backward.
“When we were playing in the 2011 AFCON qualifiers, I remember we thought we were left with one game. We needed a draw.
We celebrated in Nelspruit thinking that we had qualified, only to find out someone from SAFA ignored the email from CAF or from FIFA stating that head-to-head means you can't qualify”.
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— Soccer Laduma Local (@SLLocal) March 27, 2025
➡️ Mokoena Suspension Saga Brings Unwanted Dejavu 🥶
Bafana Bafana legend Itumeleng Khune has expressed his dismay over the possible points deduction currently faced by the South African national football team.
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