Orlando Pirates academy graduate Mbekezeli Mbokazi joined a Major League Soccer side that began the season with modest expectations. Yet his arrival steadily drew attention beyond the United States.
While the 20-year-old from Hluhluwe is still adapting to American football, interest from Mzansi has continued to grow rapidly.
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What followed the club’s announcement of his signing from Orlando Pirates on 3 December 2025 exceeded expectations.
Within 48 hours of confirming Mbokazi’s arrival, Chicago Fire gained roughly 180,000 new followers across its social media platforms. More than 572,000 South African accounts are now following the club.
Head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter admitted surprise. He said the scale of attention linked to the former Orlando Pirates defender was difficult to predict before the move was completed.
“When we evaluated the player and learned about his background and how highly people in South Africa rate him, we understood there would be interest,” Berhalter said, as quoted by The Athletic. “But seeing the level of engagement so quickly was still surprising.”
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To support Mbokazi’s adjustment, Chicago Fire also signed fellow South African Puso Dithejane. The goal was to help create familiarity as the young defender adapts to a new league and environment.
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The South African defender is preparing for major international fixtures ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to Chicago’s projections, Mbokazi’s profile, shaped during his time at Orlando Pirates, could continue to grow alongside the club’s expanding global audience.
After playing 88 minutes in the opening defeat to Houston Dynamo, Mbokazi’s goal-line clearance was shared widely across MLS and Chicago Fire social media platforms.
The MLS clip has since attracted more than seven million views on Facebook and another five million on TikTok, despite the attacking move being ruled offside earlier in the sequence.
The former Orlando Pirates defender accounted for two of the six most-engaged social media posts during MLS opening weekend.
The club, known as The Fire, bounced back with a clean-sheet victory over CF Montréal on Saturday. Mbokazi completed the full 90 minutes.
Chicago Fire believe interest in the defender will continue to rise, especially with the World Cup approaching. Bafana Bafana are scheduled to face Mexico in the tournament’s opening match on 11 June 2026.
