Several big clubs are queuing up for the prodigiously gifted Orlando Pirates graduate, Mbekezeli Mbokazi. No wonder. Should Nottingham Forest be his first choice?
What type of player is Mbekezeli Mbokazi?
Mbekezeli Mbokazi is a physically gifted central defender with crisp distribution skills and an ability to bring the ball out of defence. Mbokazi makes up for his lack of height with electric recovery speed. He has the potential to become a truly elite defender in a system deploying three centre-backs, if picked alongside one (or two) taller players. Like Lisandro Martinez at Man United, Mbokazi is superb one-on-one with a low centre of gravity. This means that his relative aerial weakness isn’t much of an issue.
Why Nottingham Forest would be a perfect fit for Mbokazi
After leaving Crystal Palace, Austrian coach Oliver Glasner has joined Nottingham Forest. Glasner guided Palace to their first-ever major trophy in 2025, winning the FA Cup against Man City. In the 2025-26 campaign, Palace won the Europa Conference League, another huge achievement for the Londoners and Glasner, who is a strong proponent of playing three at the back. It’s a system where Mbekezeli Mbokazi would thrive, so it’s no wonder that strong links to Forest have surfaced. The Tricky Trees would benefit greatly by signing a man with legs like tree trunks.
Transfer watch
Meanwhile, according to ESPN, MLS team Chicago Fire won’t stand in the way of the Bafana star, should he be eager for a move. There are rumours of interest in the 20-year-old from Nottingham Forest, Napoli and unnamed sides in Belgium. Italian Serie A side Napoli are reportedly readying an offer which could rise to €10 million (R185 million).