WATCH | Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s Bafana worldie earns global recognition

Bafana Bafana may have lost 2-1 to Panama, their first defeat on home soil since coach Hugo Broos took over in May 2021, at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday, but the world can’t stop raving about Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s screamer.

Mbokazi’s ferocious strike from just outside the box has been trending on social media, with many across the globe awed by the 20-year-old defender’s ability to unleash such a powerful effort, especially as a defender.

It wasn’t Mbokazi’s first screamer, having scored another wonder strike from distance for his former side, Orlando Pirates, when they beat Siwelele 1-0 in the first round of the Carling Knockout, at Orlando Amstel Arena last October.

Mbokazi’s club, Chicago Fire, were the first to congratulate the lad from Hluhluwe, in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, for his belter, with US Major League Soccer (MLS), where Chicago are campaigning, also joining in. Several other global football outlets recognised Mbokazi’s goal on social media.

“TLB”, as Mbokazi is affectionately known, was thrilled to be back with Bafana for the first time since he moved to Chicago after the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco, which ended in January.

TLB also quipped that he doesn’t really practise scoring worldies.

“I am happy to be back again, playing with people I’ve not played with in a long time … that motivates me to work even harder to make sure that we play with each other again,” Mbokazi told SABC Sport after the game.

“This defeat will encourage us to make sure we avoid losing at the World Cup. Sometimes even at training I try my luck from a distance, but I can’t really say I practise these kinds of strikes.”

Sowetan