Bafana’s rising star: Should Mbekezeli Mbokazi play in U20 World Cup or stay for remaining must-win qualifiers?
Big future Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was named man-of-the-match after Tuesday evening’s World Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Nigeria in Bloemfontein. Photo: Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix
Image: Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix
Mbekezeli Mbokazi once again reminded South African football fans just why he’s regarded as one of the brightest prospects this country has seen in a long time.
In Tuesday evening’s World Cup qualifier against Nigeria, which ended 1-1, Mbokazi’s performance earned him the man-of-the-match award, and praise from head coach Hugo Broos, who felt the 19-year-old needs to transfer to Europe in order to develop even more.
“This guy has to go to Europe. He is 19 years old, but you see the way he is playing, it is like he already has 10 years of experience at this level. It is his third game with the national team, and you see how he is playing,” said the Bafana boss.
Broos’ comments underline just how quickly Mbokazi has risen – so much so that both club and country are now wrestling over his immediate future: whether he should be with Amajita at the Under-20 World Cup or with the senior team for crucial World Cup qualifiers.
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It’s hard to believe that Mbokazi only made his senior debut for Orlando Pirates last December. Since then, he’s gone on to be named the club’s vice-captain and has been entrusted with the captain’s armband in regular skipper Nkosinathi Sibisi’s absence.
He has also made his mark on the international stage, and after just three games, he’s seen as a potential future Bafana Bafana captain.
Now, the South African Football Association needs to decide whether to allow him to travel to the Under-20 World Cup in Chile, which gets underway in a little over two weeks.
Due to becoming an important player for his club last season, Mbokazi was left out of the Amajita team that won the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, leading many to believe the same will happen for the upcoming World Cup.
However, after Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s comments earlier this month, there is renewed hope that Mbokazi will be on the plane to Chile.
“I never stop the player, and the club never stops the player from going to the national team. It’s a proud moment to represent the national team, to be part of the best players in the country,” the Pirates head coach said.
Participation in the Under-20 World Cup could make Mbokazi unavailable for Bafana Bafana’s next World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, which the team needs to win to book their place in next year’s global showpiece in North America.
The decision on what to do now can only be taken by Bafana’s Hugo Broos and Amajita’s Raymond Mdaka. For now, all eyes will be on the young defender's next step, because whether it’s in Chile with Amajita or in the senior team, Mbokazi looks destined to carry the hopes of a nation on his shoulders.
IOL Sport