‘In talks’: Bafana star Mbokazi has European clubs, agents calling after stellar World Cup

Basia Michaels is not an easy person to get hold of these days.

That, however, is hardly surprising.

With the football transfer window in full swing, the FIFA-accredited agent’s phone rarely stops ringing.

Clubs, sporting directors and intermediaries from across the continent are all chasing one thing – information on one of South Africa’s brightest football talents.

As the founder and managing director of QT Sports, Michaels represents a growing list of elite players.

Right now, though, one name dominates the conversation: Mbekezeli Mbokazi.

The 20-year-old centre-back’s rise over the past four years has been nothing short of extraordinary.

From humble beginnings at Home Sweepers FC in his hometown Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, where he first honed his craft, Mbokazi progressed through Makhasa FC and Mtuba All Stars before his talent caught the attention of Orlando Pirates in 2023.

What followed was a rapid ascent.

He quickly graduated through the club’s development structures, starring for the DStv Diski Challenge side before forcing his way into the Buccaneers’ senior team, making his debut in March 2025.

Within months, he had earned a high-profile move to Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire and established himself as one of Hugo Broos’ most trusted defenders in the Bafana Bafana setup.

It is remarkable to think that only eight months have passed since Chicago Fire paid $3 million (about R48.7 million) to secure his services from Pirates.

Since then, the former Buccaneer has continued to develop at an incredible rate.

He featured prominently during Bafana’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco before helping South Africa reach the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history earlier