‘He’s a young boy’: Youth coach dismisses unfounded claims about Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s age
Rising starL UMbekezeli Mbokazi uncede i''Orlando Pirates ebethe iSiwelele FC emdlalweni weCarling Knockout Cup.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Media
Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s youth coach Wonder Mnguni has dismissed allegations that the Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana star is older than what the records show him to be.
Aged just 20, Mbokazi’s rise into one of the most talked about players in South African football has been meteoric. He made his debut for Pirates’ senior team just this year, and has gone on to become one of the club’s leaders, and an important player for the national team.
That success has led to unfounded rumours about his age, with some online saying he's much older than he says he is.
Mnguni, though, has rubbished those claims.
“I can attest, I saw the birth certificate of Mbekezeli and I saw his ID when he came to us,” Mnguni said, as per a report in iDiskiTimes.
“He was doing Grade 10 in 2023. He was a bit late in school when you look at his age. And the other thing people must know, when you watch him on TV, he looks a bit older, but when you see him live, you can see he’s a young boy,” said Mnguni of the Langalibalele Academy, where Mbokazi made a name for himself before securing a move to Ezimnyama ngenkani.
“That’s one thing that confuses people, and also the way he’s built and how he fights on the field, they then think he’s old, but in reality, the boy is very young.”
As speculation swirls, the coach’s words bring the focus back to where it belongs – on a gifted young footballer whose talent and determination have propelled him to the top level. For Mbokazi, the challenge now will be to rise above the noise and continue proving his worth on the pitch, where his performances have already spoken louder than any rumours.
IOL Sport