Mbekezeli Mbokazi is being tipped to emerge as Bafana Bafana’s Man of the Match when they open their World Cup campaign against Mexico in Mexico City tonight. The 20-year-old left-footed centre-back is expected to help set the tone at the back and in the first phase of attack as South Africa step into a game that feels bigger than a routine opener.
There is good reason the prediction has attached itself to Mbokazi now. Bafana are at the World Cup for the fourth time, back on the stage for the first time in 16 years and qualified on merit for the first time in more than 20 years. For a side trying to make its return count, the focus naturally falls on players trusted to handle pressure, and Mbokazi has already been treated as one of them.
The defender has already built a reputation that reaches beyond his age. Before moving to MLS and joining Chicago Fire, he was an important part of the best defence in the PSL, and he has also played in finals and won silverware with Orlando Pirates. Those details help explain why he is being framed as more than a squad player in a tournament opener against the hosts.
The task, though, is a severe one. Mexico are opening the tournament as hosts, and the match is set to be played in front of 87,523 spectators at the Estadio Azteca, the same opponent and setting where the opening fixture was repeated from 2010. Leading Mexico’s attack is Raul Jimenez, a striker with 124 Premier League goal contributions and 45 goals for his country, which makes Mbokazi’s World Cup debut a direct test of composure as much as talent.
That is why the praise has come early. Dylan Johnson said there is no better man to stand out on the world stage than Mbokazi, adding that he is not going to be a star because he already is one. It is a bold call, but it matches the mood around a player being handed responsibility in one of South Africa’s most important World Cup nights in years.
If Bafana come away with something in Mexico City, Mbokazi’s name will be central to the story. If he does not win Man of the Match, the bigger question will still be whether South Africa’s long-awaited return has now found the defender they can build around under the brightest lights.
