It’s been years since Bafana had such talented defensive prospects. Orlando Pirates star Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Kaizer Chiefs’ Rushwin Dortley look like the future.
Dortley and Mbokazi present some interesting options for Bafana
Kaizer Chiefs have a new rock
22-year-old central defender Rushwin Dortley’s breakout season ended in heartbreak with the former Cape Town Spurs man undergoing knee surgery. The classy left-footer has been a near ever-present for Amakhosi in his debut campaign after a move from Cape Town Spurs while still learning his craft as a central defender, appearing in 18 of their 20 Betway Premiership matches, showing composure, poise and aerial aggression. To say that his absence will be a massive blow is a huge understatement. Chiefs might face an uphill battle to claim a finish inside the Betway Premiership top eight, which speaks volumes for how good he’s been, and we hope to see him come back stronger in 2205-2026. Meanwhile, across Soweto, there’s another special talent emerging.
Orlando Pirates star Mbokazi has all of the tools to be a great
5 March 2025 might go down as a big day in the history of the club. 19-year-old Mbekezeli Mbokazi, affectionately known as TLB, made his Orlando Pirates debut, and we might look back on that as a huge watershed moment. It was a 1-0 win for Pirates and, fittingly, Mbokazi marked his bow with a clean sheet. It’s the first of many, and DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] head coach Joseph Makhanya has played a big role in his rise to prominence. Mbokazi started subsequent matches against SuperSport in the Nedbank Cup (he scored the opener in a 2-2 draw, Pirates eventually prevailed on penalties) and against Stellenbosch in a 0-0 draw. Mbokazi was the Man of the Match in that thrilling cup tie against Matsatsantsa and repeated the trick by earning the accolade in Pirates’ 2-1 win over Sundowns. It’s a result to breathe new life into their title challenge.
Did Mbokazi almost sign for Kaizer Chiefs?
In 2023, Mbekezeli Mbokazi turned out for his hometown’s SAB outfit Makhasa FC. He then made a last-minute switch to Langalibalele Academy for the 2023 Engen Knockout Challenge.
After featuring in only 15 minutes during a friendly before the tournament, Mbokazi impressed the then-head of Technical and Youth Development for Kaizer Chiefs, Molefi Ntseki. Scout Ace Nkuse felt the same.
“What surprised me is that he only played 15 minutes and I phoned Kaizer Chiefs straight away,” Langalibalele Academy coach Wonder Mnguni told FARPost.
“That was my first time seeing him, I phoned Molefi Ntseki. I said there’s a left centre-back here, he’s out of this world. I told him, ‘I can guarantee you’ll want to sign this boy’. He said to me, ‘Okay, coach we will see’.
“I phoned Ace Khuse, I told him the same thing so that more people at the club would push for him. I wanted him to join Chiefs. They said they will organise things. I saw that they were delaying.”
Can Mbokazi and Dortley play in the same Bafana team one day?
In short, yes. Although they have some strong similarities, especially their left-footedness, there would be no issue fielding both men in a starting XI. It’s not common for top coaches to deploy two left-footers in the heart of defence, but a back three is always an option. Also, they’re stylistically quite different. Dortley has a widescreen view of things, preferring to take his time, while Mbokazi gets tighter to his marker. If players are good enough, they must be accommodated. It’s been many years since South Africa had a left-footed central defender; now two have come along at the same time. You know what they say about London buses. Dortley and Mbokazi could both be vying for PSL Young Player of the Season when May rolls around.
Can Bafana accommodate both of these Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates stars in future starting XIs?
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