Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s wonder goal comes from a player who has complete belief in his abilities and says it shows goals can come from anywhere in the squad.
Mbokazi netted a 88th minute thunderbolt to secure the 1-0 win over Siwelele and advance Pirates into the quarter-finals of the Carling Knockout on Saturday afternoon at Orlando Stadium.
A special strike from the highly-rated defender who is captaining the side aged 20, and now establishing himself in the national team within his meteoric rise since being promoted from the DStv Diski Challenge mid-way through last season.
Lauded for his strength and defensive ability, Mbokazi has earned comparisons to the iconic Mbulelo ‘Old John’ Mabizela, who led Pirates to a league title as a teenager before earning a move to Tottenham Hotspur – and his goal today won’t do any further harm to the lofty comparisons.
“If I can answer you; I’m not surprised about his goal because he has very, very strong shot, he shows it many times in training,” Ouaddou said when asked by iDiski Times about Mbokazi’s shooting ability.
“He took the decision to shoot from 30, 40 yards and showed his quality, it’s a guy who believes in himself. You can’t shoot from there if you don’t trust and believe in yourself – or don’t believe in your qualities.
“It’s a goal that delivered for the team, gave happiness for all the players – and the fans as well. You can see the danger can come from everywhere in our team, it’s not just the strikers or midfielders, the weapon can come from everywhere.”
Mbokazi will now report for senior national team duty, having been named in Hugo Broos’ 23-man squad to face Zimbabwe and Rwanda in the final two 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.