SA found themselves in hot water following Mokoena's appearance against Lesotho, who complained and brought the matter to FIFA's attention. After the ruling, the FA official says he has been vindicated because he helped restore the game's integrity.

The current South Africa national team is trying to match or surpass the Clas of 1996 which won the Africa Cup of Nations and went on to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Every generation has a face of the crop and an ex-Amakhosi star selects the player he thinks is the heartbeat of today's team.

South Africa are three points on top of Group C ahead of second-placed Benin and Nigeria who have six points fewer than them. That makes winning their remaining two matches crucial in the bid to qualify for the World Cup, especially with the Teboho Mokoena case being a potential major drawback.

The 28-year-old is struggling to be involved consistently at Masandawana after a bold move before the start of the season. The South Africa international has made a couple of appearances for the Brazilians, finishing the game just once in the process.

The 27-year-old appeared on course to destroy his career but the Buccaneers took him in when other teams appeared not wanting anything to do with the midfielder. But he has picked himself up and has been making headlines for the right reasons as he seems to be enjoying a new lease of life at the Soweto giants.