Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Mandla Zwane has tipped Mbekezeli Mbokazi to move to Europe soon.
The 19-year-old has been in fine form for both club and country since making his professional debut in March. His performance has been widely praised not just by South African football fans but also by other fans across the continent.
The youngster kept another clean sheet as the Buccaneers thrashed Stellenbosch 3-0 in the MTN8 final this past weekend. Zwane feels Mbokazi is good enough to play in Europe but warned against moving to the English Premeirship.
“Given the current situation at Manchester United, Mbokazi could easily fit into their line-up,” Zwane said, as per KickOff.
“However, the English Premier League tends to favour taller centre-backs, so he might excel more in countries like Spain, Portugal, and France, where shorter players are often used.”
“I believe Mbokazi is ready to go to Europe right now. He will continue to mature with time. Just look at Lamine Yamal, who was only 15 or 16 when he played for the first team [Barcelona].”
Mbokazi has become a fan favourite
The 19-year-old has played less than 20 matches for Pirates but was made vice-captain by new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou in July. In the absence of Nkosinathi Sibisi, the young centre-back led the Sea Robbers to several wins this season.
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