Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was full of praise for Mbekezeli Mbokazi following his performance against Nigeria.
Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw in Bloemfontein in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match, but it was the 19-year-old defender who stole the show. Against imposing Super Eagles defenders, the Pirates captain held his own and was awarded Man of the Match.
After the match, Broos said South Africa needed more players in Europe to be able to compete against the very best in the world.
Against the Super Eagles, Bafana were the better team, but poor finishing and decision-making let them down.
Broos want Mbokazi in Europe
“We have good players [in South Africa], really we have good players and I hope really that what we did with BafanaBafana. Hopefully, we will do in the future, that those players get the [opportunity] to go to Europe,” Broos said after the match.
“Because that should help South African football. We can be sure that if they play in competitions that of a higher level than our PSL here in South Africa, they’ll become better when they play in those competitions [in Europe].
“So let’s hope the guys have the opportunity in future, next season maybe, to go and play abroad. Maybe the PSL teams will not be happy to hear that, but look at a guy like [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi, this guy has to go to Europe,” Broos added.
“He’s 19 years old [and] you see the way he’s playing, it’s like he has already 10 years of experience on this level.”
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