Orlando Pirates legend Moeneeb Josephs has named the ideal replacement for talented defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who is rumored to be leaving the club.
The highly-rated centre-back has dominated the news in the past few weeks following reports linking him to a move away from Pirates. Several media reports have revealed that the 20-year-old defender is on his way to Major League Soccer (MLS) after his impressive performances with the Sea Robbers.
Mbokazi is believed to have completed a move to Chicago Fire for a transfer fee in the region of R50 million. ‘TLB’ as he’s famously known, has taken the PSL by storm since gaining promotion from the Pirates DStv Diski Challenge side to the first team.
Mbokazi was promoted to the senior team in March 2025, and he has been the key player for Pirates, putting in solid performances at the heart of defence.
In the current season, Mbokazi has amassed 18 appearances and scored one goal. The KZN-born star has also played a huge role in the Pirates’ MTN8 triumph, having beaten Stellenbosch FC in the final two months ago.
Meanwhile, Mbokazi missed the Pirates’ previous match in the league against Chippa United, which fueled the rumours about his move to Chicago Fire.
In his absence, Abdeslam Ouaddou used Nkosinathi Sibisi and Lebone Seema as the centre-back pairing as they beat Chippa 2-0.
WHO IS JOSEPHS’ IDEAL REPLACEMENT OF MBOKAZI?
Josephs, who won several major trophies as a goalkeeper at Pirates over a decade ago, says Olisa Ndah is the perfect replacement should Mbokazi leave the Soweto giants.
“I made a point earlier on that Ndah has to be patient and wait for his chance, and this is that opportunity where if Mbokazi does move, imagine having a quality centre-back like Ndah,” Josephs said on the Soccer Beat podcast.
“Unfortunately, he fell down the pecking order, and he has to accept that it is what it is, and he has to wait for his opportunity. If Mbokazi moves, there’s no better replacement than Ndah coming into that position, so it will work perfectly for Ndah; he just needs to be patient.”
Pirates currently have Nkosinathi Sibisi, Tapelo Xoki, Lebone Seema, and Olisa Ndah to fight for the starting line-up in the centre-back position.
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