Matthew Booth says Hugo Broos has found a new centre-back pairing in Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Ime Okon, and the signs of it were there in South Africa's latest defensive work. Booth described the two as a strong physical match for one another, with Okon's height and passing into space complementing Mbokazi's tackling and left-footed distribution.
That is why Mbokazi's name is drawing interest now. The 13-cap defender has become part of a back line that Booth believes finally has shape, and the praise lands during South Africa's 2026 World Cup campaign, when every defensive choice carries extra weight. Booth's view was simple: right foot, Okon; left foot, Mbokazi, is a combination that works.
The numbers from South Korea help explain the optimism. South Korea had 69% of the possession, yet South Africa limited them to eight shots and only three on target. Booth said the pair, along with Sphephelo Sithole, came to the fore under pressure, with Okon and Mbokazi also creating one chance each. Okon made 48 passes, the most of any South African player, another sign that the pair were not just defending but helping the team play through the lines.
Booth was less forgiving about what came before. He called the first game against Mexico an absolute disaster because South Africa used a back three, and the defenders were shifted into roles they were not used to. Okon was pushed to the left, which shut down his right foot, Nkosinathi Sibisi ended up at right back, and Mbokazi spent most of the match at left back. Booth said they looked very awkward, a sharp contrast with the cleaner structure that followed when South Africa reverted to a back four against Czechia.
That is the real test now for Broos. Booth's assessment suggests Mbokazi and Okon have moved from an experiment to the most natural centre-back pairing available, but it also shows how much of that depends on the shape in front of them. If South Africa stays with a back four, the partnership looks settled. If the system changes again, the comfort Booth praised could disappear just as quickly.
