Bafana Bafana star defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi played his first 90 minutes since his injury as Chicago Fire‘s win on Tuesday night.
Chicago Fire welcomed Vancouver Whitecaps in the league, and the home side walked away with all three points with a 3-1 win on the night.
The win saw Chicago Fire move up to fourth on the Major League Soccer (MLS) standings with 45 points from 27 games.
MBEKEZELI MBOKAZI GETTING STRONGER AS CHICAGO FIRE WIN AGAIN
Now, Mbokazi was named in the Chicago Fire starting line-up, and played a full 90 minutes for the first time since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Last week, Mbokazi could only last for 80 minutes as Chicago Fire beat Charlotte 1-0 as the technical team did not want to rush him.
He had suffered a severe thigh injury during the FIFA World Cup which needed surgery that he underwent in Finland.
His coach, Gregg Berhalter, had prematurely ruled Mbokazi out for the remainder of the season only to later retract his statement.
Mbokazi‘s return from this long injury layoff is also good news for Bafana Bafana who will certainly need him in November.
Bafana Bafana will take on Kenya in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers for the 2027 edition in East Africa.
DITHEJANE ALSO FEATURES FOR CHICAGO FIRE
Meanwhile, Puso Dithejane also featured for Chicago Fire on the night following his return from the Bafana Bafana camp.
Dithejane, who scored on his Bafana Bafana debut in the team’s 1-0 win over Egypt, came on as a second half substitute in the 76th minute alongside Robert Lewandowski.
At the time, Chicago Fire were leading Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1.