Orlando Pirates legend Joseph Makhanya has revealed that he had to repeatedly convince Mbekezeli Mbokazi to stop visiting hostels in Soweto after the defender’s rise to professional football.
Mbokazi, 20, joined Orlando Pirates‘ DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) side in 2024 before earning promotion to the senior team a year later.
Nicknamed “TLB”, the defender quickly established himself as one of the club’s brightest young talents, displaying maturity, leadership and composure beyond his years.
He helped Pirates win two trophies before securing a move to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in December.
Makhanya, who coached Mbokazi in the DDC, said the defender possessed an exceptional winning mentality and never accepted defeat. He believes Mbokazi’s resilience was forged by his difficult upbringing.
“He has Lucas Thwala’s vibes but again, there’s also that warrior in him whereby he doesn’t want to be defeated. [In his head] he is the ultimate warrior that no one can beat,” Makhanya told Soccer Beat.
“Sometimes the dynamics of growing up shape a player into what he’s about to become. Mbekezeli was shaped a lot by where he’s coming from, whereby he had to fight all his life, so you can see when he’s on the field of play, he’s also fighting.”
Mbokazi was always at the hostels, says Makhanya
The former Pirates midfielder also recalled having to personally fetch Mbokazi from a Soweto hostel, where the young defender would often visit friends despite his growing profile as a professional footballer.
“I’ll be at a garage in my neighbourhood near a hostel and as soon as I get there, attendants will be like, ‘Coach, I saw your player going into the hostel.’
“Now I’m finding it difficult to fetch a player at a hostel. I am scared to go to the hostel. So there had to be a lot of talking to convince him to stop visiting hostels.”
Makhanya explained that his advice was never about distancing Mbokazi from his roots, but about helping him adapt to his new life as a professional footballer.
“I said, ‘Bra, your life is changing. I know these are your brothers and I’m not looking down on them, but try to look after yourself better. We can’t be called every time you’re at a hostel and I have to come fetch you.’”
Mbokazi is currently back in South Africa after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup, where he impressed while representing Bafana Bafana. He has since been linked with top European teams such a Napoli.
It remains to be seen if he will return to Chicago Fire after the FIFA World Cup. The MLS side said they will not stand in the way should a good offer come for the talented defender.
