Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s recent outstanding performance against Nigeria not only sent South Africa abuzz with excitement but also inspired his peers, particularly U20 national team goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe.
Mbokazi displayed a man-of-the-match performance against the Super Eagles during a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
“We see how the Safa structure has allowed the youth players to go through the ranks, and Mbokazi is one of them.
“He was with us at the Cosafa [Cup in 2024] and other camps afterwards, but to now see him in the senior national team is really good and inspiring for us,” Lowe said during an exclusive interview with Sunday World.
“He is a quality player with loads of potential, and I really believe that the U20 is a stepping stone for everyone to push and get to Mbokazi’s level, because he is showing us that it is possible, and we are also working hard to get to that level as well.”
Having previously been praised by Bafana coach Hugo Broos after helping Amajita lift the U20 Afcon early this year, and voted Goalkeeper of the Tournament, the 18-year-old lanky shot-stopper said he felt honoured to be recognised.
“It was a real honour for me to receive such a compliment from coach Hugo Broos. It is really motivating me to do more and work harder than before, and who knows, maybe one day I will get the opportunity to be part of the Bafana team.
“But I don’t want the praise to go tonmy head because I could not have done what I did at the Afcon without my teammates, who constantly pushed me and have had an impact on my progress,” he added.
Lowe, who plies his trade in the Portuguese top flight for Estoril Praia, is expected to form part of coach Raymond Mdaka’s final 21-man squad, which will represent Mzansi at the U20 Fifa World Cup in Chile later this month.
“After the Afcon, the World Cup is a great platform for us to showcase our talent to the rest of the world. We have a lot of quality players; most of us play first-team football. Everyone has improved, and I think we are stronger than we were before.
“We already feel like we can do something at the World Cup. I can’t really say how far we can go, but we believe that we can win.”
