'Speechless' Thalente Mbatha amazed by Orlando Pirates 'strong boy' as new Bafana Bafana international lauded for ignoring the 'hype'

Despite the exit of coach Jose Riveiro, his successor, Abdeslam Ouaddou, defied the odds to win the MTN8 last weekend.

The Soweto giants scored three goals in extra time without reply to silence Stellenbosch, who had put up a brave fight in regulation time to ensure it ended goalless.

Relebohile Mofokeng and Mbekezeli Mbokazi are the youngsters who shone in that final to steer  Bucs to glory.

Nkosinathi Sibisi, who has been providing leadership at the back, suffered an injury recently that saw him miss some crucial games.

However, the 19-year-old Mbokazi put up a brave face to lead Pirates despite his inexperience since he was promoted to the senior team in March this year.  

Since his promotion, the Bafana Bafana international has arguably been the most consistent player in the Premier Soccer League.

"Mbokazi is a very strong boy; he is a person who is very strong, even mentally," he told SNAWA.

"If you remember the viral video when he was introduced, he says, ‘I won’t lose to another boy’, so he is one boy who is really strong. That’s all I can say about him. 

"For him to have a role model like 'Bhodlela' [Sibisi], it’s something that is great because Bhodlela is a great human being, a great defender, and I believe Mbokazi is learning a lot from Bhodlela," Mbatha continued.

"Mbokazi is just incredible. I get speechless when I speak about Mbokazi. It gives me goosebumps. He is one person who came to the team and cemented his place.

"He is one of the key defenders in our team now, in the country, actually, so it is something that we are very happy about as players.

"Having someone like Mbokazi makes us confident that we can win the game because we feel like if we have Mbokazi, we will be able to defend against these guys. Because, regardless of the hype or anything, Mbokazi is just there," the South Africa international concluded.

Mbokazi hopes to be fit enough to make the 2025 AFCON squad for Bafana Bafana, who are hoping to go all the way after finishing third in the 2023 edition.

Nevertheless, the main assignment, currently, is to ensure Bucs are consistent in the Premier Soccer League, where they are hoping to beat their rivals to the crown.

Another hurdle is in the CAF Champions League, where Bucs are hoping to go all the way this season after making the last four in the previous one.