Orlando Pirates’ Thalente Mbatha has caught the eye of Junior Khanye, the former Kaizer Chiefs winger famous for his frank views.
Mbatha ran the show in Bafana Bafana’s 3-0 win over Lesotho at Free State Stadium last Friday. The 24-year-old midfielder from KwaMashu played 90 minutes, earning his sixth cap since making his international debut in September 2024 against Uganda.
Khanye didn’t hold back in his praise. Speaking on iDiskiTV, he said Mbatha’s energy, positioning, and box-to-box style reminded him of retired Brazilian star Paulinho, the same man who once dazzled for FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur.
ORLANDO PIRATES MAESTRO THALENTE MBATHA DELIGHTS JUNIOR KHANYE
“Can I please complement this boy Thalente Mbatha, that boy has improved,” Khanye said on iDiskiTV.
“That boy looks lively, he avails himself, box-to-box, he masters that position,” Khanye added on the Orlando Pirates magician. “He reminds me of Paulinho, the Brazilian. He was good with box-to-box [midfield role]. That’s why they hit us with 5-0 [in a friendly match].
“The Brazilians play like us, I’m a fan of that type of football. There’s no hitting the ball in the air. They are skilful like us, technically very good and hardly play with tall players.”
Meanwhile, Mbatha, formely with Highlands Park and SuperSport United, is expected to start as Orlando Pirates face Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final.
MBEKEZELI MBOKAZI NAMED ORLANDO PIRATES PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Orlando Pirates’ young centre back Mbekezeli Mbokazi has been nothing short of an ace at the back, showing a calmness and leadership that you rarely see in a 19-year-old.
Hailing from Hluhluwe, Mbokazi has been an ever-present, starting every competitive match for the Sea Robbers, and even slipping on the captain’s armband while Nkosinathi Sibisi recovers from injury.
Fans have been taking notice too, and their votes have made it clear: Mbokazi is the name on everyone’s lips this season.
“Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s outstanding start to the 2025/26 season has not gone unnoticed, with the hard-tackling centre back being named Player of the Month for August,” Orlando Pirates announced.
The accolade has come not long after the club’s new coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, cautiously tipped Mbokazi for bigger things beyond Mzansi shores.
“Mbokazi… let me be very honest, and I have to be careful because when you congratulate someone to quickly, I’m afraid he stops working but I have to say it, because as a coach you have to be cautious of hyping players, but when they are doing well, it’s good for their mentality, for their self-esteem that he did well,” Ouaddou said.
The French-Morrocan Orlando Pirates mentor didn’t stop there, adding a glimpse of what the future could hold if Mbokazi keeps his head down and works hard:
“This guy, if he continues to work, if he continues to be professional, if he takes care of his lifestyle, I think he has great future because what I have seen again today, it’s just unbelievable, it’s the performance for big clubs in Europe and we’re happy to have him in Orlando Pirates, a big club in Africa, he’s fantastic – but he has to keep working,” he concluded.
WHAT HAVE YOU MADE OF HIS PERFORMANCES SO FAR?
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