Legendary football commentator Baba Mthethwa has praised teenage defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi for his fearless display against recently crowned PSL Player of the Season Lucas Ribeiro Costa, claiming the youngster made the Brazilian look “ordinary.”
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Mthethwa’s comments came during the Orlando Pirates documentary Giants, where he reflected on Mbokazi’s standout performance in the Buccaneers’ 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns last season.
In the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Ribeiro had been the chief tormentor, scoring twice, including a stunning solo goal, in a 4-1 demolition of Pirates.
However, in the second meeting, Ribeiro struggled to make an impact after being tightly marshalled by the 19-year-old centre-back, who was introduced by then-coach Jose Riveiro as part of a reshuffled line-up in response to the earlier thrashing.
“Mbokazi made Ribeiro look ordinary on the day. So ordinary that he started to complain to the referee. How does a man as old as he is go and complain about a 19-year-old? What does that tell you?” Mthethwa said.
Riveiro, who has since moved on to take charge of Al Ahly, also spoke highly of the burly defender, acknowledging both his potential and the learning curve that comes with youth.
“Mbokazi is a young boy who is solid in defence and is also capable of winning duels. Obviously, he’s young, there will be situations where he makes a mistake and we have to pay some school fees,” the Spaniard noted.
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