For much of his tenure as Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos has had to shoehorn right-footed defenders like Mothobi Mvala into the left centre-back role. But as he winds up his time at the helm of the South African national team, there has been a welcome rise in the number of left-footed centre-backs available to him.
Even with Kaizer Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley sidelined for a lengthy spell, Broos was still able to travel to the AFCON with three natural options in that position.
“We’ve been looking for left centre-backs, and now …. we’ve found that, and it’s good because right-footed players playing in the left centre-back position can give us trouble in some moments of the game,” Broos explained last year.
Former Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela believes the rise of left-centre backs in the local game is a strategic necessity. “It gives you that balance [in your backline],” Maela told FARPost.
Opponents usually target a centre-back playing on their ‘wrong’ side to disrupt the build-up. But with a natural left-footer, the play becomes more fluent.
The emergence of six players resolves South Africa’s long-standing tactical headache.
Here are six left-footers that can curl passes around pressing strikers towards the left wing, a movement difficult for a right-footer.
RUSHWIN DORTLEY – KAIZER CHIEFS
At 1.92m, Dortley is the gold standard. Following his move to Kaizer Chiefs from Cape Town Spurs, he became a mainstay for both club and country.
However, a knee injury disrupted his rise. The 23-year-old showed exceptional composure. His line-breaking passes are the reason Broos trusted him as he looked to solidify his status. “Their passing range is top. You look at players like these; their accuracy is around 85% every match. It’s that composure, you never see them shaking under pressure,” added Maela.
MBEKEZELI MBOKAZI – CHICAGO FIRE
The most rapid riser on this list, Mbokazi, recently secured a high-profile move from Orlando Pirates to Chicago Fire in the MLS. Straight away, he made his MLS debut and asserted himself well in a three-man defence. Playing as an LCB for Chicago allowed the left-back to push higher, knowing the KZN-born defender’s natural side covered the wide channel more effectively.
Despite being shorter [1.78m], he possesses elite game reading. A tenacious interceptor who thrives in high-pressure systems. The 20-year-old was a breakout star of the recent AFCON 2025 in Morocco. Maela, who came through Pirates’ youth development, credits the youth structures for this emergence: “Kudos must go to the DDC [DStv Diski Challenge]. More teams are now intentional about selecting left-footed centre-backs and grooming them young.”
ADEN MCCARTHY – CHIEFS
The son of Fabian McCarthy, Aden has stepped out of his father’s shadow at Chiefs to become a modern defensive hybrid. The 22-year-old is a rugged defender with a cultured left foot.
He is a dual threat, dominant in aerial duels and occasionally a scorer from set-pieces. He was the cornerstone of Molefi Ntseki’s national team that qualified for CHAN.
KHULUMANI NDAMANE – MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
After a stellar run at TS Galaxy, Ndamane was snapped up by Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2026. The 22-year-old, technically gifted defender seems to have settled in perfectly at Sundowns. He maintains a high pass-completion rate under heavy domestic and continental pressure.
Like Mbokazi, he is already a fully capped senior international. “We’ve seen with Ndamane recently, he wins almost 90% of his duels. You expect a centre-back to win duels, but it’s the combination of that grit and his calmness in the build-up that stands out.”
XOLANI COSSA AND MPHO CHABATSANE – CHIEFS AND ORLANDO PIRATES
Mpho Chabatsane, the Bucs new signing and Xolani Cossa, currently on loan from Chiefs to Black Lions in Botswana, are the ‘dark horses’ of the group. Cossa is a physical powerhouse comfortable carrying the ball deep into the opponent’s half. The 21-year-old’s loan spell has added much-needed grit to his technical floor.
Chabatsane, on the other hand, is a modern left-sided defender who’s comfortable on the ball and well-suited to a build-up system like Pirates’. The 23-year-old can play out from the back, provide width and crosses, and has the recovery speed to track back in transition. His ability to operate at left-back or left centre-back adds tactical flexibility.
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