Coach reveals how he discovered Orlando Pirates star Mbekezeli Mbokazi! 'When I first saw him, tears welled up in my eyes' and 'his uncle had to whip him with a sjambok to ensure he left for Durban'

Langalibalele Sports Academy senior coach Wonder Mnguni has explained how he discovered Orlando Pirates star Mbekezeli Mbokazi.

The Bafana Bafana defender featured for the academy in the Engen Knockout Challenge, and this was the launchpad of his career.

According to Mnguni, the Bucs' assistant captain joined the academy in mid-2023. Coming from Hluhluwe, where opportunities for players to turn professional are scarce, Mbokazi's case is a rare one.

“When we play tournaments like Engen, we usually invite players from the rural areas to give them opportunities,” Mnguni told iDiski Times.

“Mbekezeli was not the only one; there were several other players we invited for trials, and then we saw talent. It’s just that I saw a different talent in him. I remember vividly when I first saw him; tears welled up in my eyes because football is in my veins," he added.

“So, when I see a special talent, I can feel it. I was like, ‘What a talent!’. He was in the under-18 team, and we were playing a good senior team, but he was just so perfect on the day. With him, we just polished a few little things before he left.”

The development coach also stated that Mbokazi was shy and struggled to speak for himself. He said it took the intervention of his coach to have him leave for Durban.

“When he came here, he was that boy who was a little bit shy and quiet; it’s just that whenever he entered the field, he was never quiet; he’d command,” Mnguni explained.

“He just didn’t care that he was new in the team; he was commanding, and you could see he didn’t want to fail," he added.

“As a kid, he struggled to speak up for himself, and before he came here, coaches where he comes from took advantage of that, claiming him for their tournaments there.”

“Even when the time came to join us for Engen, other coaches attempted to stop him. Ultimately, his uncle had to whip him with a sjambok to ensure he left for Durban, understanding that it was necessary for him to seize better opportunities.”

Given that Mbokazi was an unknown footballing figure a few years ago, and looking at who he is now, his case is indeed peculiar, and his growth can be described as meteoric.

When he was given the first team opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands and has never looked back. He has established himself as Pirates' pivotal figure, and his phenomenal rise saw him appointed as one of the captains at Bucs.

His development has seen him go on and become one of Hugo Broos' dependable defensive figures, although he will miss the World Cup qualifier against Rwanda due to suspension.