Feb 3, 2026, 02:35 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena may have struggled to find his best form for Mamelodi Sundowns of late, but he still has at least one admirer in Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana icon Siphiwe Tshabalala.
'Shabba' singled Mokoena out for praise as a lynchpin of the Bafana Bafana team at Sunday's Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup trophy tour event in Cape Town.
"Teboho Mokoena has been very impressive, very consistent [and] one of the key players in the group," Tshabalala, who famously scored the opening goal of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, told ESPN.
"Collectively, they are doing very well – playing very well. It was just a setback at the past AFCON, but I am fully behind the team and still have confidence that they will do well [at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA]."
While he gave his backing to Mokoena to continue to be one of the leaders of Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana team, 'Shabba' also encouraged those on the sidelines to stand up and prove that they deserve a place.
"They still have time to prepare for the World Cup. I've been saying this and I'll say it again: the door is not closed for a place in the team," Tshabalala continued.
"I want to encourage each and every South African professional footballer to work hard at their respective clubs and doing that will enhance their chances of playing at the World Cup."
The vote of confidence comes at a difficult time for Bafana, but also particularly for their midfield stalwart, who has been under pressure in several respects over the past year.
Mokoena admitted to ESPN that for some time, he did not quite feel like himself after accidentally playing while suspended against Lesotho in March 2025 and thus costing the team three points in World Cup qualifying.
It was an error that should have been picked up by the South African Football Association (SAFA). Sports, arts & culture minister Gayton McKenzie pledged to investigate, but accepted an explanation from SAFA that Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka had missed the yellow card which led to Mokoena's suspension because he was… fetching ice.
The incident took an emotional toll on Mokoena, who faced public scrutiny. However, a weight was lifted off his shoulders as Bafana Bafana secured their place at the World Cup in October.
Still, Mokoena has not completely rediscovered his best form for Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns, who find themselves under serious pressure in the Betway Premiership and CAF Champions League.
Sundowns have won the last eight league titles but halfway through the season, they are level on 32 points at the top of the table with Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand and appear to have closed what was once a huge gap between 'the Brazilians' and the rest of the league.
In the CAF Champions League, Sundowns have five points from four games and face a challenging visit to Saint-Éloi Lupopo and an emotional home encounter with former head coach Rhulani Mokwena's MC Alger. Poor results in those games would put last season's runners-up at risk of failing to reach the knockout rounds.
Bafana Bafana will kick off the tournament against co-hosts Mexico — against whom Tshabalala scored that famous goal — on June 11, precisely 16 years after he brought the nation to a standstill.
On June 18, South Africa will face the winner of UEFA Playoff Tournament D (Czechia, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia) in Atlanta.
They will finish their Group A fixtures against South Korea in Guadalupe on June 24 (or the early hours of June 25 for those watching in South Africa).
While Tshabalala and co. failed to become the first Bafana Bafana team to make it out of the group stage in their last World Cup appearance, Mokoena will have an opportunity to win supporters over as one of the leaders of a team who could make history in North America.
