Belgian Broos believes Mbokazi’s showing for South Africa against Egypt in a 1-0 defeat at the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday, particularly in keeping Mohamed Salah quiet in the game, on solidifies his view that the Orlando Pirates player has been talked into the wrong choice.
“Mbokazi should move to a bigger competition, a European competition, France, for example, or even Spain. Not Real Madrid or Barcelona, but a good Spanish team,” Broos said.
“He is already playing at that level, and he will only improve when he comes up against better players week in and week out. This is normal development, but if you look at the level he is at right now, you can see it clearly.”
Broos says while he is loath to compare Mbokazi with Belgian great Vincent Kompany, some similarities are there.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t want to compare him to Vincent Kompany at all, but I see similar qualities,” he said. “Kompany also had that confidence at the same age, but he needed to move elsewhere.
“His first one or two years were at Hamburg in Germany, where they taught him how to live as a professional and how to develop the right attitude. After that, he went to Manchester City and became a fantastic player. That same path is possible for Mbokazi. That is why I say Chicago is not the right place for him.”
Broos drew criticism from various quarters for his comments about Mbokazi’s move since it was announced earlier this month, but says he stands by every word.
“People were angry when I said two or three weeks ago that it was not the best choice for his career, but you saw why in the game against Egypt,” he said.
“For me, he was the man of the match with the way he played. One moment stays in my mind, in the second half, a long ball was played to Salah, and Mbokazi went with him. Salah had no chance, no chance at all.
“That shows his quality, his timing, his reading of the game. And I think now you also understand why I would be very angry if this guy were to ruin his career. This is a player who can have a very big career.”