Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter believes Mbekezeli Mbokazi is in the right place at the right time to develop into a top defender, saying regular match-ups against world-class players such as Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga will accelerate his growth.
Chicago Fire signed the South African international from Orlando Pirates in December in a deal worth around $3 million (over R50 million), strengthening a centre-back position that had been a major weakness for the club last season.
Mbokazi’s move, however, sparked widespread debate in South Africa. Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos publicly criticised the transfer, suggesting the player’s agent, Basia Michaels, prioritised financial gain over Mbokazi’s long-term development.
Broos added that the agent should have waited, noting that South Africa would be competing in the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June, tournaments he felt could have increased Mbokazi’s exposure to top European scouts.
Berhalter, however, is confident that Major League Soccer (MLS) provides the ideal environment for Mbokazi’s development, given the growing number of elite players in the league.
“He’s comfortable on the ball and dynamic in tackles,” Berhalter told MIR97 Media.
“He’s aggressive in the air, even though he’s not the tallest, and he’s able to cover the space behind him. For a 20-year-old, he has a lot of potential.
“I believe that when you’re playing against players like Messi, Son and Bouanga — the quality we have in this league — it prepares you for any league in the world.
“We have a very clear way we want to play. Defenders have a lot of the ball and are asked to do difficult things. I’m confident that will help develop him and prepare him for the World Cup.”
Berhalter, who endured a challenging spell as head coach of the United States men’s national team despite guiding them to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, also explained how Chicago Fire identified Mbokazi.
“It was pretty straightforward,” Berhalter said.
“We’ve been scouting him for a while. I have a friend who is a sporting director at a top club there, and I called him for a reference. He said Mbokazi is an absolute top player.”
To help Mbokazi adapt more quickly to life in the United States, Chicago Fire have also signed South African attacker Puso Dithejane from TS Galaxy.
Berhalter added:
“We watched a lot of games and had a call with the player. We were able to understand him as a person, but most importantly his quality.
“He came to Chicago, we showed him the training ground and the environment we’re building, and he was excited about it. He believes this is a great step in his career.”