Teboho Mokoena walked off the pitch in Atlanta as South Africa’s saviour and its biggest problem all at once. His nerveless late penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw against Czechia, yet his suspension for the decisive Group A clash with South Korea leaves coach Hugo Broos scrambling for solutions.

With midfield orchestrator Mokoena and creative fulcrum Themba Zwane both banned, Broos faces a gaping hole in the spine of his side. Sphephelo Sithole returns from suspension, but the holding midfielder’s confidence has been eroded by a difficult season at CD Tondela, a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations and a shaky World Cup opener against Mexico that ended with red cards for both him and Zwane.

Against Czechia, by contrast, South Africa finally looked like a team that belonged on this stage. Michal Sadílek’s early strike had Bafana Bafana chasing the game, but Mokoena dragged them back into contention almost single-handedly. He drove play from deep, stitched together attacks and, when Thapelo Maseko’s shot struck the arm of Pavel Šulc, stepped up to bury the 83rd-minute penalty with icy precision.

Yet his night was stained by indiscipline. A reckless first-half challenge brought a second consecutive yellow card at this tournament, reviving painful memories of his bookings in qualifying. Then, an administrative blunder saw him fielded against Lesotho when he should have been suspended, costing South Africa points and sparking a storm that the team only just survived to reach the finals.

Teammates insist they can cope without him. Wingers Owsin Appollis and Relebolhile Mofokeng, both bright sparks against Czechia, spoke of faith in the squad’s depth. But the evidence on the pitch was stark. Jayden Adams, withdrawn at half-time, and Thalente Mbatha struggled to impose themselves before Mofokeng’s introduction behind the striker and the arrival of bruising centre-forward Evidence Makgopa tilted the contest.

Broos is expected to build a two-man midfield around Adams, whose recent form for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana has been encouraging, even if he lacks Mokoena’s relentless penetration in the final third. One of Mbatha or Sithole is likely to partner him, with Mofokeng almost certain to start as the lone number 10 in Zwane’s extended absence.

South Africa remain bottom of Group A and almost certainly need victory over South Korea to survive. Mokoena’s penalty ensured this World Cup will not be remembered as a total write-off, but his latest yellow card may yet define how short their journey becomes.