What Broos saw: The qualities that earned Mbokazi a Bafana call-up
- Martin T
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has shed light on the qualities that led him to include Orlando Pirates' teenage defender, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, in the national squad.
Mbokazi is one of seven new players called up for the upcoming international friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique.
Bafana Bafana will first face Tanzania at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday, June 6, 2025. Following that, they are set for a clash against Mozambique on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Broos' troops convened in Johannesburg on Sunday, June 1, 2025, before travelling to Polokwane the same day. Their first training session was held on Monday at The Ranch Resort, just outside Polokwane.
With Mbokazi part of the Bafana camp, coach Broos highlighted the 19-year-old defender's maturity, his sharpness in winning duels, and decision-making as key factors that caught his eye.
"I think what I saw from Mbokazi was, for me, his game is very mature, he makes good decisions, and he's a good defender. He's not the tallest, but he wins aerial duels," said Broos.
"He's 1.80m, I think, but he doesn't lose many duels, he has good positioning and reading the attack, so yeah, he's a good defender."
Despite Mbokazi's promising form at club level in his first season as a professional, Broos acknowledged that the defender missed a crucial opportunity to gain experience after Pirates opted against releasing him for the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations last month.
"No, it would have been better for him to play AFCON for his development and gaining international experience," added Broos as Amajita won the U-20 AFCON title.
"Ok, Pirates will say he has international experience in the CAF Champions League and they are right, but they could have given him the opportunity because they have players who can replace him in the team.
"And okay, Pirates could still have been champions in that moment, but I think to become champions was very difficult, so you could have then given a chance to a player to play at AFCON."
