Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena could have played his last match of the FIFA World Cup after picking up a suspension-triggering yellow card during their 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic.
South Africa endured a difficult first half as the Czech Republic took control of the Group Stage encounter.
Michal Sadílek opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes after poor defensive marking allowed the Europeans to seize the initiative.
Bafana Bafana created a few promising opportunities but struggled to make the most of them, with their final pass often lacking the required quality.
Their best chance of the half came just before the break when the Czech goalkeeper spilt the ball inside the penalty area. Thapelo Maseko’s effort however, was blocked before it could find the back of the net.
Mokoena’s afternoon became even more frustrating in the 33rd minute when he was shown a yellow card for a foul on Vladimír Darida.
The booking means the midfielder will miss South Africa’s final group-stage match against South Korea after accumulating two yellow cards during the tournament.
Mokoena has another frustrating day BUT…
Bafana Bafana also struggled to build from the back against the Czech Republic’s organised pressing structure. Hugo Broos’ side frequently looked uncomfortable in possession inside their own half, while the Czechs applied a disciplined half-press and only committed numbers forward when in possession or from set-piece situations.
In the second half, Bafana kept coming and levelled matters when they were awarded a penalty. Mokoena, who had an average game, stepped up to score the equaliser.
Mokoena’s suspension could force Broos to hand Sphephelo Sithole a starting role against South Korea. The midfielder’s absence would be a significant blow given his influence in the centre of the park.
Should South Africa fail to secure positive results against the Czech Republic and South Korea, while Mexico avoid defeat in their remaining matches, Mokoena’s yellow card could ultimately mean that his World Cup campaign has come to an early end.
