Itumeleng Khune Expresses Dismay Over Possible Points Deduction, Reflecting on 2011 AFCON Heartbreak

Bafana Bafana legend Itumeleng Khune has voiced his deep frustration over the possible points deduction currently faced by the South African national football team, drawing painful comparisons to the 2011 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification debacle that left the nation devastated.

Khune, a long-standing fixture in the Bafana Bafana squad for over a decade, expressed how the current controversy over Teboho Mokoena’s ineligibility – due to accumulating two yellow cards – has reignited memories of the 2011 AFCON qualification saga. During that campaign, South Africa thought they had qualified for the tournament after a goalless draw against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit. The draw left Bafana Bafana level on points with both Sierra Leone and Niger, all with nine points from six matches.

Celebrations erupted as the South African team believed they had qualified, thanks to their superior goal difference. However, much to their shock, it was later revealed that the qualification criteria were based on head-to-head results among the three teams, not goal difference. Niger, despite having the worst goal difference and losing three of their matches, advanced to the finals, leaving Bafana Bafana heartbroken and the nation in disbelief.

Khune, reflecting on that painful episode, expressed the emotional toll it had on both the players and fans. “I’m even having goosebumps now because I’m becoming emotional because of such things,” Khune told the Siya Crew. “You know, as a federation, you should request for such things upfront. You should know and you should let us as players know before stepping onto the field that there’s a possibility that this might happen, or that this might not happen.”

Khune’s frustration stems from a recurring pattern of miscommunication and lack of clarity. He recalled the confusion during the 2011 AFCON qualification campaign, where the players were unaware of the head-to-head rule until after the match, leading to the crushing realization that they had not qualified. “When we were playing AFCON qualifiers, I remember we thought we were left with one game. We needed a draw. We celebrated in Nelspruit thinking that we had qualified only to find out someone from SAFA ignored the email from CAF or from FIFA stating that head-to-head means you can’t qualify,” Khune explained.

Now, with the threat of a points deduction looming over Bafana Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Khune is once again calling for accountability. He expressed his dismay over the potential penalty for fielding Mokoena, emphasizing the hard work the team has put in.

“Same thing that is happening right now, being deducted three points and three goals after so much hard work that was put in, someone must be held accountable,” Khune urged. “Because we can’t keep on taking 10 steps forward and taking 20 steps backwards. Someone must be accountable and someone must come out and say to the nation, ‘I’m sorry that I’ve cost the national team the three points and the three goals’.”

Khune’s comments reflect a larger issue within South African football, where miscommunication and errors can have profound consequences on the team’s success. As Bafana Bafana continue their quest for World Cup qualification, Khune is calling for transparency and responsibility from the football authorities to prevent further setbacks.