By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa’s central defender Mbekezeli ‘TLB’ Mbokazi is available for selection for Thursday’s clash against the co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
Despite his red card during the qualifiers against Zimbabwe, a key FIFA rule change for the 2026 World Cup—specifically regarding indirect red cards and suspensions—means he carries no carry-over ban into the tournament.
The amendment states: “Single yellow cards and pending one- or two-match suspensions as a consequence of cautions in different matches in the preliminary competition, an indirect red card, or a direct red card for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity or for serious foul play are not carried over to the final competition. Any other pending match suspensions imposed as a result of a red card in matches in the preliminary competition are carried over to the final competition.”
The decision was taken to ensure participating nations could field their strongest possible squads at the World Cup while maintaining disciplinary integrity.
It’s a massive boost for Bafana Bafana as they look to make a statement in their Group A opener.
The England and Chelsea legend John Terry meanwhile said the Bafana Bafana defender is destined for great things in world football.
Terry was speaking in a roundtable with journalists earlier today.
“I think he’s actually got potential to be one of the big stars among the defenders and young players coming through, and that can be really positive for the team.”
“I really like him. I like his attitude and the mentality side of things that I see. So I’m excited to see him against some bigger and better opposition throughout this tournament.”
Returning to the World Cup has taken more than desire, after years of disappointment, the team has had to rebuild. Central defender Nkosinathi Sibisi explains, “It’s been about resilience. We’ve had major tournaments where we haven’t been there. And it was about time we had to pull together, and resilience played a huge role.
Another Defender Aubrey Modiba describes this style, “South African football is flair, enjoyment, skill. We are very unique. We can do almost everything with the ball. We believe in ourselves. You can see us playing in the streets. You can just stand there and enjoy that flair.”
The match kick-off at 9pm South African time.
Exactly 16 years later, history has produced a script that even the most seasoned Hollywood writer would find poetic. South Africa and Mexico are locked to face each other once again in a World Cup opening fixture.