▲ South Africa's Teboho Mokoena
The South African national football team, set to face South Korea in their third match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup group stage, has been hit with further disciplinary setbacks.
During the Group A second match between South Africa and the Czech Republic held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States today (June 19), South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns) received a yellow card in the 33rd minute of the first half.
Mokoena was cautioned by referee Tori Penso (USA)—the second woman in history to officiate a men's World Cup match—after a late tackle on Czech midfielder Lukáš Červ.
Having already received a yellow card in the opening match against Mexico on the 12th, Mokoena is now suspended for the final Group A match against South Korea, scheduled to be held at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on the 25th.
For South Africa, it appears that disciplinary cards are continuing to hinder their campaign following the Mexico match.
In their first match against Mexico, South African midfielders Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were both sent off and missed today's game. Furthermore, Zwane received a three-match suspension from FIFA yesterday, ruling him out of the match against South Korea as well.
Mokoena has been a key figure in the South African midfield, having played over 50 international matches, including a starting role in the Africa Cup of Nations from last December to January and playing the full 90 minutes in the World Cup opener against Mexico.
He managed to ease some of the disappointment of missing the next match by calmly converting a penalty kick in the 38th minute of the second half—awarded following a handball by the Czech Republic—to equalize the score at 1-1. He continued to play until the end, contributing to securing a point for his team.
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos said in the post-match press conference, "It is a pity to receive two yellow cards during the tournament," adding, "The players who will miss (the match against Korea) are not weak players; they are key players. This is a problem we need to solve."
He added, "Mokoena is a great player, and he still is. But he received a foolish yellow card. It shouldn't have happened, but this is also a part of what we need to learn at this level of competition."
Ahead of their third match against South Africa, the South Korean team led by head coach Hong Myung-bo is playing their second group stage match today at 10:00 AM at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico against co-host Mexico, in what is effectively a battle for first place in Group A.
With Mexico also missing central defender César Montes due to a red card in their previous match, the atmosphere surrounding Hong Myung-bo's squad is one of a "boost" as they face favorable disciplinary circumstances regarding their opponents ahead of the match against South Africa.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.