Teboho Mokoena has been confirmed available for selection in South Africa’s upcoming last-32 World Cup match against Canada, while Themba Zwane remains suspended. This announcement was made by South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, who revealed that their appeal against Zwane’s red card received during the match against Mexico was rejected by FIFA.
“Teboho is surely there against Canada, but Themba no— they didn’t accept our appeal, which is strange,” Broos stated. He expressed his disbelief over the decision, emphasizing, “What he did was certainly not deserving of a three-game sanction. Certainly not.”
Mokoena had previously been suspended for the match against South Korea due to accumulating yellow cards in both the matches against Mexico and Czechia. Meanwhile, Zwane received a three-match ban following his red card, with the South African Football Association’s appeal failing to overturn the punishment—an outcome that has frustrated Coach Broos.
South Africa is set to face Canada on Sunday at 9 PM South African time, and it is anticipated that Mokoena will return to the starting lineup. The coach will need to decide whether to substitute Thalente Mbatha or Sphephelo Sithole to accommodate Mokoena’s return.