The midfielder was dismissed in the 84th minute of the 2-0 defeat after a VAR review found that his arm had caught Roberto Alvarado in the face. FIFA later handed Zwane a three-match suspension, which South Africa unsuccessfully appealed.
READ: How much Bafana Bafana earned at the World Cup
According to TimesLIVE, the Group of Copenhagen issued a “yellow notice” over the incident. The body, established by the Council of Europe, monitors possible manipulation in sporting competitions.
A yellow notice represents a slightly increased level of concern and can be triggered by unexplained betting movements, social media rumours or information received from other sources. It does not mean match-fixing took place.
The group monitored all 104 World Cup matches, placing 15 under increased surveillance and issuing seven yellow notices.
Watch: Man United’s £1.4bn debt explained
FIFA’s Integrity Task Force reached a different conclusion, saying it found no suspicious betting activity or signs of match manipulation linked to any fixture.
Bafana Bafana are down to nine men 🤯🟥
Themba Zwane reiceves the second red card of the night ❌❌
📺 Stream #FIFAWorldCup2026 on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc #DStvFIFAWorldCuo2026 | #EverythingCanWait pic.twitter.com/Rk59B5Yagp
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 11, 2026
Photo: REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
