Bafana Bafana lose key midfielder Teboho Mokoena to injury ahead of their AFCON qualifier against Eritrea.
Bafana Bafana (1.21) will be without midfielder Teboho Mokoena for Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea. Coach Pitso Mosimane confirmed the injury blow after South Africa’s opening 2-1 win over Guinea.
The Untimely Injury Explained
Mokoena picked up the injury during South Africa’s win over Guinea last Saturday. He struggled visibly during the closing stages of that match. Bafana had already used all their substitutions, forcing him to play through the discomfort.
Mosimane confirmed scans have ruled him out of facing Eritrea (14.00).
“The doctor took them for scans and, in a nutshell, the scans say that the injuries mean we can’t use them,” Mosimane said.
Left-back Aubrey Modiba also picked up a knock in the same match and remains unavailable. Neither player has trained since the squad arrived in camp.
What Bafana Lose Without Mokoena
Mokoena has developed into a complete box-to-box midfielder for both club and country. He averages 81 minutes per match and completes 91.5% of his passes in recent league campaigns.
He regularly produces more than 40 shots across a domestic season, underlining his attacking threat. Defensively, he averages 1.8 clearances and 0.8 tackles per match. His willingness to shoot from distance adds a goal threat few South African midfielders can match.
Mokoena has earned more than 57 caps, progressing through South Africa’s junior national teams before featuring at the Olympics. He has won four PSL titles and a PSL Player of the Season award with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Contenders To Replace Him
Bathusi Aubaas appears the most likely option to step into Mokoena’s role. The Sundowns midfielder has 18 caps but only two goals and five assists across 159 top-flight appearances.
He came on for Relebohile Mofokeng late against Guinea as Mosimane looked to close out the match. His introduction alongside Yaya Sithole would tighten midfield but offer little extra going forward.
Brooklyn Poggenpoel represents a riskier alternative with just a single Bafana cap. He has impressed for Durban City this season and offers slightly more mobility than Aubaas.
Sphephelo Sithole has also been mentioned as a further option to cover the void. Mosimane is unlikely to take major risks given the away qualifier’s importance.
A Manageable But Costly Absence
South Africa face Eritrea at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday, with kickoff at 18:00 South African time. The match represents South Africa’s second qualifier in Group D this campaign.
Mosimane named a 30-player squad for this window specifically to manage such setbacks. Samukele Kabini or Fawaaz Basadien can cover Modiba’s absence at left-back. Losing Mokoena’s box-to-box presence, though, remains harder to fully replace.
His combination of ball progression, defensive work and shooting threat has no direct equivalent in the current squad. Bafana will need collective effort from midfield to compensate for his absence against Eritrea.
