Orlando Pirates vice-captain and rising star Mbekezeli Mbokazi is headlining coach Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming Fifa World Cup qualifying matches.
Broos trimmed his preliminary squad down to 23 on Thursday, as Bafana will report for camp ahead of their two encounters against Lesotho and Nigeria in Bloemfontein in September.
Mbokazi is one of the several new faces in the Bafana squad who earned themselves a call-up from Broos for the crucial qualifiers.
The 19-year-old is only in his second season with the Buccaneers but has already made a name for himself as the next big star to come out of South Africa.
“This is a player that I didn’t see or know much about from the beginning, but he has shown an excellent and mature attitude since I started paying close attention to him,” Broos said during a live broadcast at the SABC studios.
Confident and strong
“He is confident, strong, and has a competent technique. He plays without fear, which is special for a young player and made me curious when he joined us in March. We observed him participating in the team’s friendly games, which instilled confidence in me.
“This was for me the proof that he’s a very skilled player, a very capable defender, and a very young one, so I never doubted [including him] for one second when I made the list not to take him.”
Broos continued to praise Mbokazi, stating: “He is really, really good. I haven’t said this in a long time. What I can say is that, because I don’t know the history of South African football, in the four years that I have been here, I have never seen such a young defender like him. So, I’m very happy with him.”
Broos added that he believes the tenacious defender will be ready to play in Europe after spending another season in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
“I said this about Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng], but I think it will be beneficial for Mbokazi to stay another season in the PSL because Pirates will play Champions League.
“This is a guy who must go to Europe next season, certainly with the skills he has and the quality he has. He’s a nice guy that is very humble in the group,” Broos added.
Bafana Bafana final squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie, Zuko Mdunyelwa, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba, Kulumane Ndamane, Ime Okon, Samukelo Kabini, Siyabonga Ngezana.
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Luke Le Roux, Bathusi Aubaas, Thalente Mbatha.
Strikers: Kamogelo Sebelebele, Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Iqraam Rayners, Lyle Foster, Mduduzi Shabalala, Mohau Nkota, Relebohile Mofokeng
