Pirates coach discusses releasing Mbokazi for U20 World Cup

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has confirmed that the club will not stand in the way of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi representing South Africa at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 20.

Mbokazi, who was promoted from the club’s DStv Diski Challenge side in March, has quickly become a key player for the Buccaneers. His absence from the U20 AFCON squad earlier this year was notable, but at the time, Pirates were competing on multiple fronts, including the CAF Champions League, Nedbank Cup, and the league title race.

Since joining the first team, the 19-year-old has featured in all seven of Pirates’ matches across all competitions this season. He played a crucial role in securing the club’s spot in the MTN8 final for the fourth consecutive year and has even captained the team in the absence of the injured Nkosinathi Sibisi.

Ouaddou emphasized the club’s stance on international duty. “I never stop the player, and the club never stops the player from going to the national team,” he said. “It’s a proud moment to represent the national team, to be part of the best players in the country.”

He added that he will be speaking with management about the situation but reiterated, “we can’t stop someone from joining the national team.”

Despite Ouaddou, stating that the club would not stand in the way of his call-up, defender Mbokazi was not included in coach Raymond Mdaka’s preliminary squad for the upcoming U20 World Cup in Chile.

Mdaka announced the preliminary squad on Wednesday afternoon with final squad set to be announced in due time.

Coach Raymond Mdaka has announced a preliminary squad for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup to be held in Chile next month. The African champions will assemble on Monday next week.@NUTRITECHFIT @pefmo_za pic.twitter.com/ur9Ebj6rRM

— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) August 27, 2025

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