Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Ime Okon have given South Africa a new centre-back pairing. Matthew Booth says Hugo Broos has found a combination that looks far more settled than the one used Against Mexico. The shift matters because Bafana Bafana now head into the Round of 32 with clearer options in the middle of the defence.
Booth on Mbokazi and Okon
“Yeah, so it seems like Bafana coach Hugo Broos has found a new centre-back pairing,” Booth said. He pointed to the way the two fit together, with Okon’s height and passing into space complementing Mbokazi’s tackling and left-foot distribution.
“They suit each other well from a physical point of view. You know, Okon is taller in stature,” he said. “His technical abilities include a good pass into the space to break lines. Mbokazi, of course, is very strong in the tackle. And, of course, he's got a very good pass with his left foot.”
That mix is unusual enough to stand out on its own. Booth summed it up simply: “So right foot, Okon; left foot, Mbokazi, is a great combination, and they suit each other very well.” Mbokazi’s 13 caps and Okon’s 11 caps give Broos two defenders with enough senior experience to play with some authority, even if they are still being judged as a pair.
Against Mexico and Czechia
The first match did not give that partnership the right frame. “I think, of course, the first game against Mexico was an absolute disaster because they played in a back three, and they ended up in positions which they're not used to,” Booth said. Okon was shifted across to the left, Sibisi ended up at right back, and Mbokazi spent most of the match at left back.
The change against Czechia was the correction. South Africa reverted to a back four, and Booth said that set the pair up in roles that suited them far better. That is the practical takeaway for Broos: the defenders did not change, the structure did.
Against South Korea, the same pairing worked under heavier pressure and still held up. South Africa allowed 69% of the possession, but Korea were held to eight shots and only three on target. Booth called it South Africa’s best defensive performance in the campaign so far.
South Korea pressure
The work came in the air and in the tackle. South Africa faced 27 crosses, and Booth said Sithole, Okon, and Mbokazi “came to the fore with their presence and physical ability.”
There was more than just defending to the performance. Okon and Mbokazi created one chance each, while Okon completed 48 passes, the most from the South African team. For Broos, that is the useful sign: his centre-backs did not only absorb pressure, they also helped start attacks.
Will Hugo Broos keep Mbokazi and Okon together in the back four for the next knockout match? After South Africa’s first match in an unfamiliar back three looked awkward, the answer now sits at the centre of the Round of 32 build-up.
