Orlando Pirates legend Lucky Lekgwathi has heaped praise on defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, boldly comparing him to one of South Africa’s most talented and charismatic centre-backs, Mbulelo ‘Old John’ Mabizela.
Following the retirement of former captain Innocent Maela and the arrival of new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, Pirates faced the challenge of electing new leadership.
Ultimately, Sibisi was named the new skipper for the new 2025/26 season. He is assisted by Thapelo Xoki and 19-year-old Mbokazi.
Mbokazi quickly took on the role of on-field captain after Sibisi suffered an injury in the first league game of the season. The young centre-back has since worn the armband in all six games, leading the Soweto giants to their fourth consecutive MTN8 final after knocking out Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals.
This has prompted Lekgwathi to share his impressions on the teenager’s captaincy at the prestigious Soweto club. The club’s longest-serving captain reflected on how Mabizela also assumed the skipper’s role at a young age, drawing parallels to Mbokazi’s situation.
PIRATES GREAT LEKGWATHI SEES MABIZELA’S LEGACY IN MBOKAZI
“It’s good to be given a responsibility at a young age. If you remember the story of ‘Old John’ [Mbulelo Mabizela], he was the youngest captain at Orlando Pirates and won the league in 2002/03,” Lekgwathi told FARPost.
“If you look at the way he [Mbokazi] conducts himself inside the field, you know, he’s a hard worker and the only thing that he must learn is obviously to communicate,” said Lekgwathi.
The former Pirates skipper continued to review Mbokazi’s captaincy, further emphasising the need for senior players to take the teenager under their wing and help him lead a steady ship.
“I see game by game he is growing, and the senior guys must make sure that they help him. I remember myself during the 2003/04 season, when I was given an arm belt, and we were playing the Vodacom Challenge. The senior players said to me, ‘No, take the arm belt’. I was not the only captain; they were helping me,” reflected the league-winning defender.
Meanwhile, after a shaky start to the season, losing their first two league games, Pirates eventually found their rhythm, winning their subsequent three encounters.
LACK OF COMMUNICATION THE ONLY PROBLEM, SAYS LEKGWATHI ON MBOKAZI
Lekgwathi attributed the team’s recent success to the newly appointed captaincy of the Bafana Bafana defender, Mbokazi. “I think he is going to learn, and since he became the captain, there is no question mark…the team is doing well,” added the Bucs legend. “They have won about three games with him as the captain.
Although emphasising the need to improve his communication on the field, Lekgwathi further expressed his admiration for Mbokazi in hailing him as the next Mabizela.
“The only thing is just inside the field you see, just the communication. As a captain, you are the coach inside that field. But I think the boy is coming, and yeah, I see the next Old John Mabizela.”
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