Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has intervened to support Bafana Bafana star Teboho Mokoena. The situation escalated after ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula slammed the player for making remarks regarding the EFF. Mbalula explicitly demanded that the South African Football Association (Safa) reprimand Mokoena for his comments. However, McKenzie has called for calm across the sporting and political landscape. He insisted that the player's intentions contained no malice. The Minister's defense aims to shield the athlete from further political fallout. This clash highlights the intersection of sports and partisan politics in South Africa.