Mbokazi’s MLS leap: ambition or career risk for Pirates star?

COMMENT

Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana young defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi is reportedly on the brink of a major career move, with Major League Soccer (MSL) outfit Chicago Fire pushing hard to secure his signature. 

For Pirates, the numbers are tempting — the club could reportedly receive around $3 million (about R52m) if the transfer is finalised. For a 20-year-old already trusted with the captain’s armband and firmly in the Bafana conversation, the interest is deserved. But the timing and destination raise far more questions than answers.

This is the kind of move that looks good on paper, especially financially, yet threatens to undermine the trajectory of one of South Africa’s most promising defenders. With the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco kicking off next month and the Fifa World Cup set for next year, Mbokazi is entering the most important period of his young career.

These next 18 months are where he cements himself — or stalls. Moving now, and specifically moving to the MLS, feels dangerously premature. The uncomfortable truth is this: few, if any, South African players have used MLS as a springboard to Europe. 

The league may offer better salaries than the PSL, better facilities, and a bigger global brand, but it remains a competition where careers plateau rather than accelerate. It has become a destination for experienced players in their final chapters, not a launchpad for those still writing their first pages.

The recent examples tell their own story.

Bongokuhle Hlongwane, despite his electric cameo last season, has not progressed to a higher level and lost his place at Bafana. Cassius Mailula — once a breakout star at Sundowns — struggled for consistent minutes in Toronto before being shipped back to Africa. 

Njabulo Blom, full of intelligence and promise, remains stuck in a system that doesn’t maximise his attributes. Olwethu Makhanya arrived with huge potential, took time to establish himself and only recently became a regular for his Philadelphia side. 

All four left South Africa full of hope; none have taken the next leap into Europe as expected. 

And then there’s the national team angle. Hugo Broos has been blunt: he doesn’t rate the MLS. 

He has repeatedly suggested that the league lacks the intensity and tactical edge needed at international level. 

That sentiment will not magically disappear because Mbokazi is there. If anything, it could jeopardise his involvement at precisely the moment he should be solidifying his place.

None of this is to say Mbokazi shouldn’t aspire to move abroad. He absolutely should — but the destination matters. Europe was opening for him. AFCON could still open it further. 

The World Cup could take it to another level. Another season at Pirates, playing continental football and sharpening his leadership, might have placed him in front of clubs with stronger pathways and higher ceilings.

Chicago Fire offers a great contract. But the question is whether it offers a great career. Right now, the answer feels painfully uncertain.