“It was a stupid thing to do. It was very irresponsible of me. I do regret it.
“Sometimes even now I still think of that thing and what happened in France. But now I'm trying to figure out how I can convince young players not do what I did.”
Mokoena apologised to South Africans for the incident.
At the time, Augustine and Mokoena indicated that their mistake was partly due to tensions with volatile Troussier.
Mokoena said he did not think the incident would have happened if Bafana's 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach Clive Barker had led SA to the 1998 World Cup.
SA ended third in Group C at their maiden World Cup after a 3-0 opening defeat to hosts and eventual winners France, and draws against Denmark (1-1) and Saudi Arabia (0-0).
In a career spanning the late 1990s to late 2000s, Mokoena turned out for Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, AmaZulu, African Wanderers, Moroka Swallows and Black Leopards.
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PODCAST | I still regret that night in France: Naughty Mokoena
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Former Orlando Pirates midfield star William “Naughty” Mokoena says he still regrets “that night in France” when he broke curfew in the Bafana Bafana camp and was sent home from the 1998 World Cup.
The talented and entertaining midfielder was expelled, with Brendan Augustine, from the Bafana camp by coach Philippe Troussier having been included in SA's squad for their first World Cup.
He and Augustine had missed a curfew returning to the team hotel in SA's camp in Vichy having gone out drinking.
Asked in an interview with Robert Marawa on Marawa Sports Worldwide if he thought he'd outlive the incident, Mokoena said: “For me it's water under the bridge because I have a new lease of life now. I just opened a Naughty Mokoena Foundation, so I can't stick on the past.”
Mokeona said he deals with the incident that continues to follow him by “not hiding myself”.
“It was a stupid thing to do. It was very irresponsible of me. I do regret it.
“Sometimes even now I still think of that thing and what happened in France. But now I'm trying to figure out how I can convince young players not do what I did.”
Mokoena apologised to South Africans for the incident.
At the time, Augustine and Mokoena indicated that their mistake was partly due to tensions with volatile Troussier.
Mokoena said he did not think the incident would have happened if Bafana's 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach Clive Barker had led SA to the 1998 World Cup.
SA ended third in Group C at their maiden World Cup after a 3-0 opening defeat to hosts and eventual winners France, and draws against Denmark (1-1) and Saudi Arabia (0-0).
In a career spanning the late 1990s to late 2000s, Mokoena turned out for Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, AmaZulu, African Wanderers, Moroka Swallows and Black Leopards.
For more episodes, click here.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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