June 17, 2026
South Africa midfielder Themba Zwane has been handed an extended three-match suspension following his red card in last week’s World Cup opener against Mexico, FIFA announced on Wednesday.
Zwane was sent off late in South Africa’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico at the Azteca Stadium after striking defender Roberto Alvarado in the face. Bafana Bafana had already been reduced to 10 men following the earlier dismissal of midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, and ended the match with nine players.
The 36-year-old, who had only been on the pitch for a little over 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute, appeared surprised by the decision. He had attempted to dribble past Alvarado near the edge of the penalty area when the pair made contact and his hand struck the Mexican defender in the face.
Following the match, South Africa coach Hugo Broos questioned the decision to send off Zwane, although he accepted Sithole’s dismissal for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
