Orlando Pirates‘ promising young defenders, Jabulani Mokone and Mbekezeli Mbokazi, are making a name for themselves in the development leagues.
Both players have been key figures in the Buccaneers’ Diski Challenge side. Mbokazi’s impressive performances have also earned him recognition at the national level, securing a place in the South African U20 squad that qualified for the 2025 U20 AFCON.
Further demonstrating their talent, Mokone and Mbokazi were selected to represent the PSL’s Carling All Stars team in the Carling Black Label Cup at Orlando Stadium this past weekend. The All Stars delivered a dominant performance, defeating Carling Knockout champions Magesi FC 3-0.
Despite these achievements, the path to the senior team is not straightforward. Orlando Pirates’ head coach, Jose Riveiro, has acknowledged the depth of talent within the club. “Well, as everybody knows, the pool of quality, the depth of our squad is big,” Riveiro has said, highlighting the competitive nature of securing a first-team place.
Riveiro further explained the challenge of integrating young talent into a squad already rich with experience. “It is difficult to introduce youngsters in the regular starting 11s but not impossible as all the players are showing.
“I think there’s an example for them like (Mohau) Nkota, (Relebohile Mofokeng) Rele, Thabsio Monyane; there’s several names in our squad coming from our Academy,” he has stated.
The coach emphasized the importance of patience for young players like Mokone and Mbokazi. “So they need to be patient, they need to work, there might be a right time for them. Sometimes it’s impossible to introduce all of them together at the same time, but I think so far the club is so happy with the two players that you mentioned before and many others,” Riveiro concluded.
This scenario underscores the balance clubs must strike between fostering youth development and maintaining competitive performance, a narrative all too familiar in the football world where the promise of youth often meets the reality of squad dynamics.