Kaizer Chiefs ‘REJECTED’ Pirates teen Mbokazi
Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s former coach revealed that Kaizer Chiefs inquired about the young Pirates defender but never followed up.
Kaizer Chiefs are reportedly among the PSL clubs that rejected Orlando Pirates‘ teenage sensation Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The 19-year-old KwaZulu-Natal-born centre-back has been sensational since making his Bucs debut a few weeks ago. Two years ago, Mbokazi was playing for his hometown’s SAB team, Makhasa FC, before Langalibalele Academy recruited him at the last minute for the 2023 Engen Knockout Challenge.
After featuring just 15 minutes during a friendly before the tournament, Mbokazi impressed Kaizer Chiefs then-head of Technical and Youth Development Molefi Ntseki and scout Ace Khuse.
“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’.
Kaizer Chiefs missed out on Mbokazi
“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.”
Instead of joining Kaizer Chiefs, Mbokazi would join rivals Orlando Pirates a year later, leading them in the DSTV Diski Challenge (DDC). Mbokazi made headlines during Bucs against Mamelodi Sundowns where he man-marked Lucas Ribeiro thus earninging the Man of the Man award.
Is Mbokazi the next Siayabonga Sangweni?
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