Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka was named by fuming MPs in parliament's sports portfolio committee as the official responsible for missing that Teboho Mokoena was suspended in SA's 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.

The MPs demanded to know why the SA Football Association (Safa), reporting to the committee on Tuesday, has not taken action against Tseka .

Mokoena played in the 2-0 win over Lesotho in Polokwane in March as Bafana's team management missed the midfielder having accumulated two yellow cards in previous matches, meaning he should have been suspended.

The huge gaff seems certain to result in Group C leaders SA losing three points, which will endanger their chances of a first World Cup qualification other than as hosts since 2002. 

However, Tseka received a fair degree of cover from Safa head of legal Poobalan Govindasamy and president Danny Jordaan, who told MPs they were waiting for Fifa's final decision concluding their internal investigation.

ANC MP David Kgabo was the first to raise the Mokoena matter before he was ed by ActionSA member Athol Trollip, who asked why Tseka had kept his job.

“Who is the [official] who was supposed to interpret the rules before the coach [Hugo Bross] could field him [Mokoena?],” Kgabo asked.

Govindasamy initially answered the responsibility “should be [to] officials in charge at that point in time”.

“But as I understand the position of Teboho Mokoena's case, the match commissioner who came from Mauritius and Fifa and Caf had not received [a suspension letter notifying Mokoena's situation] or it was not sent to Safa and the match commissioner, the question of the two yellow cards,” he said.

“So he played innocently and it was only subsequently that the information came to light.”

Kgabo was not satisfied, and pressed for the name of the person responsible, asking: “That official, is it a coach or team manager?”

Govindasamy replied: “It's the team manager, Mr Vincent Tseka.” 

Kgabo asked what punishment Safa has meted out against the official responsible.

“I think with due respect the matter is still under investigation,” Govindasamy replied.

“We've not received the final word on it.”

Trollip said Safa should not have waited for Caf or Fifa to provide information to know Mokoena's status.

“This could cost us crucial qualification for the World Cup,” he said.

“The name [Tseka] was bandied about here, but I want to know who made the ghastly error that could have resulted in disaster for our World Cup qualification campaign.

“My question is, who is the official and how much is he paid on monthly basis to do his job of counting how many yellow cards there are? What happened to him for not doing his job?”

Govindasamy was not ready to throw Tseka or any Safa official under the bus.

“That matter is under investigation. When Fifa makes the decision only then [will Safa's] investigation be completed. The investigation is incomplete at the moment. 

“I think the problem was that Fifa, Caf and the match commissioner were not informed of the yellow cards. When you go to the match commissioner's meeting, that's when you're alerted of this.

“Even Safa was not alerted officially of Mokoena's two yellow cards. It came up after the match.”

Trollip insisted the bungle has nothing to do with Caf or Fifa.

“This is a responsibility of a prescribed official within Safa to count the yellow cards to prevent a player going to the field and compromising a crucial outcome. We don't need Fifa or anything.

“Has any step taken been against the individual? I read an article that said he's paid something like R100,000 a month to count the yellow cards, and he didn't. What abilities were taken against the official?”   

Jordaan again insisted Safa will take action after Fifa decides the matter.

“There will be ability but we have to wait for all the reports to come in.

“If you act against any staff member, they have the right to take up the matter. Our position is clear, we'll defend the position on the side of what is right but, unfortunately, we cannot do that at this stage.

“We can plead that you give us some space so we can deal with the matter.”