Star defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury that could see him missing when South Africa play their next international.
The 20-year-old faces being sidelined for at least two months after hurting himself in training this week with his Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.
“It’s not good,” Chicago coach Gregg Berhalter told a press conference after his side lost 3-1 away at New York Red Bull without the centre back on Saturday.
“He’s going to be out a while. He took a shot in training, hit the ground a little bit, scuffed the ground, and ended up tearing his thigh.
“And it’s serious. He won’t be back for a good amount of time. It is a miss. We feel like we have good centre-backs there anyway, but because he’s a top centre-back, we’re going to be missing him for a while. So we’ve got to get used to the new normal.”
Mbokazi was a sensation at the World Cup and has won rave reviews following his move to Major League Soccer, chosen to play in next week’s MLS All-Star Game, where he received more fan votes than any other player, including Lionel Messi, to be part of the team, which would have seen him line up alongside the Argentine.
He is now also a doubt for the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September, when Bafana Bafana face a crucial home clash against Guinea.
Meanwhile, Berhalter also praised Mbokazi’s compatriot Puso Dithejane this week after he scored against Inter Miami. The coach has been hugely impressed with the impact of the winger.
“He’s been the star of this new preseason that we’ve had,” Berhalter said. “He scored against Minnesota, he scored against Columbus, and now he scores again against Miami.
“He’s coming on, pushing for minutes. You can see how dangerous he is, and he has a bright future.”