Sipho Mbule has found a new home at Orlando Pirates, but is he good enough to play number 10 for Bafana Bafana at 2025 AFCON and 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Mbule emerged at SuperSport as a superstar teenage midfielder, but another gifted schemer was coming through at the same time: Teboho Mokoena. 

Despite this, Master Chef racked up 101 appearances for the now-defunct Swanky Boys, mainly as a box-to-box centre midfielder, before he too followed in the well-worn footsteps of Matsatsantsa's finest talent being hoovered up by fellow Pretoria outfit Sundowns.

In a parallel universe, perhaps Mbule might have become a regular for South Africa much earlier, in a deeper-lying midfield role. Now, it seems as though he's being primed as a number 10. 

Mbule is back in the fold for South Africa and on track to get called up for 2025 AFCON. Suppose you'd said that out loud a year ago, people wouldn't have taken you seriously.  

The player has had his off-field struggles, especially when he went out on loan to Sekhukhune, so it's good to see him focused and playing regularly again. 

Let's not get carried away over Mbule just yet. In the cold light of day, the player hasn't scored or assisted in any of his last 20 games for club and country, if you exclude the pair of assists against Zambia in a friendly. 

At the same time, we can't judge midfielders purely on their output of direct goal contributions and must also assess how they're improving a team's chemistry and cohesiveness in the final third.  

When 2025 AFCON rolls around, Mbule's experience at top clubs around South Africa and his assists against Zambia will very likely see him making the final cut. It's down to him to produce consistent performances until then, and then make the most of the opportunity he has in front of him.

Mbule still need to earn the trust of Pirates boss Abdeslam Ouaddou, though; he's only started four of the last nine outings for the Sea Robbers and was an unused sub against former club Sundowns and the refranchised Siwelele. 

Bafana boss Broos seems to fancy him as South Africa's playmaker after picking and starting him in four crucial World Cup Qualifiers and now the AFCON warm-up friendly. 

The Belgian and every Bafana fan will be hoping his run in the national side will ignite his club performances and we get a fit, focused, in-form Mbule at the continental tournament.

Legendary 36-year-old Sundowns and Bafana star Themba Zwane is riddled by injuries, and Hugo Broos doesn't have an over-supply of number 10s at his disposal. Mbule's future seems to be in that role, but perhaps he's a default option because of a general shortage of playmakers in the PSL. Relebohile Mofokeng is the other obvious option, although some schools of thought can picture him out wide as a roving left-winger and clubmate Oswin Appollis as the number 10. Kaizer Chiefs star Mduduzi Shabalala seems to now be out of favour with Broos despite the youngster reminding everyone of his talent in his showstopping two goals and assists performance against Orbit College right before the international break 

The player's most productive period came at SuperSport with 11 goals and 10 assists in 101 appearances. That's a decent output, but those numbers have steadily declined since. He only chipped in with five goals and four assists in 68 appearances across stints with Sundowns and Sekhukhune. 

A tally of zero goals and zero assists in 14 appearances for Pirates isn't good enough for a number 10 and simply has to get better. If it doesn't, he can't justifiably be picked for his country as the prime playmaker to tear up the defences of Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe in AFCON Group B.

Mbule has just four matches with Pirates left before the AFCON hiatus. Showing his masterclass against Zambia was not a fluke must be his primary aim.