Former Orlando Pirates defender Benson Mhlongo in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa has questioned the commitment of Teboho Mokoena despite his goal in South Africa’s 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.
“Mokoena’s performance is always the same — quiet. But I think now it is starting to get a little cocky,” the ex-defender exclusively told Footy-Africa.
Mokoena played the full 90 minutes and was recorded a game-high 119 touches, while he also created five chances.
However, those numbers did little to convince Mhlongo, who feels the 29-year-old is still falling short of the standards he previously set for himself.
“For me, he was only playing at 50%. He did not give me 100%. The Mokoena I know from last season, from the qualifiers, was giving 100%.”
“When the team cannot score, you need to step in, create more shots, and be intentional about making chances,” he concluded.
Bafana Bafana picked up their first point of the tournament after rescuing a late draw against the European side in their second Group A match. The 1996 African champions had opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico and looked to be heading towards an early exit from the competition when Michal Sadilek’s first-half strike gave the Czech Republic the lead.
Bafana Bafana fight back to earn a draw, and it ends 1-1 against Czechia at the Atlanta Stadium, thanks to a Teboho Mokoena penalty in the second half#BafanaBafana#BafanaPride#FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/vqwaJdMJo4
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 18, 2026
However, South Africa found a way back into the game in the 83rd minute when Mokoena converted a penalty after Czech midfielder Pavel Sulc was penalized for a handball inside the box. Despite scoring the equalizer, Mhlongo believes the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder has not been performing at the level he is capable of and must do more to help the national team.
South Africa will now turn their attention to the final group-stage match against South Korea next Thursday, knowing that anything less than a victory could bring their World Cup campaign to a premature end.
