Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton Mckenzie has confirmed that Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka was fetching ice for the team when he missed the yellow card that almost cost Bafana Bafana a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Bafana Bafana have qualified for the World Cup despite being docked three points after midfielder Teboho Mokoena was fielded in the 2-0 win over Lesotho in March despite sitting on two yellow cards, meaning he was suspended for that clash in Polokwane, Limpopo.

Mckenzie recently wrote to SAFA to demand answers and also penned a letter to FIFA in which he apologised to the world football governing body for the incident.

Speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Mckenzie said Tseka doubling up as an ice boy during a crucial World Cup qualifier speaks to SAFA’s financial troubles.

“South Africans deserve answers, and I had given SAFA seven days to give us answers as South Africa to make sure this never happens again,” said Mckenzie.

“SAFA has complied with my request and has completed its investigation. They provided me with a very comprehensive investigation, and I can report today that we now have full clarity on what happened. The report confirms this was not an act of negligence or sabotage but rather a strange, highly unusual set of coincidences.

“The two yellow cards issued to Teboho Mokoena came 16 months apart (in fact, it’s seven months), an almost unheard-of gap,” stated Mckenzie.

“The team manager, Vincent Tseka, who has taken responsibility for that oversight despite numerous excruciating circumstances, was not present when the second card was issued, as he had left the field to fetch ice for the players.

“That extraordinary coincidence tells us something deeper: that our national team is operating under immense strain… despite the tremendous progress on the field and positive results, Bafana Bafana are still under-resourced.

“All that we must now do is to unite behind our team. We have now gone 24 games unbeaten. Let us give Bafana Bafana our full support,” added McKenzie.

Mokoena was first booked against Benin on match day one at Moses Mabhida Stadium in November 2023 and was again cautioned when Bafana Bafana played Zimbabwe at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein in June last year but still went on to feature in the next match against Lesotho.

As things stand, the matter is closed, with Tseka escaping punishment.