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Is Chicago Fire wonderkid Mbekezeli Mbokazi playing today against Czech Republic?

He is set to start.
South Africa Portraits - FIFA World Cup 2026
South Africa Portraits - FIFA World Cup 2026 | Luke Hales - FIFA/GettyImages

The World Cup is finalizing its second week, and most nations are playing their second group match. The first teams to play their second Group A match are Czechia and South Africa.

Both sides lost their opening games and are looking to secure their first victory of the international tournament. For South Africa, Mbekezeli Mbokazi achieved a historic milestone in their defeat against Mexico.

However, if the Africans want to win, they need their starting and crucial center-back to play in every game. So the essential question here is whether or not Mbokazi is playing today against Czechia.

Is Mbekezeli Mbokazi playing today against the Czech Republic?

With a tough start, South Africa will try to regain trust by winning their match against the Europeans. Considering that Mexico and South Korea are facing each other tonight, this is the perfect opportunity for the 2010 World Cup host to make their first three points.

To do that, Mbekezeli Mbokazi is set to participate in the starting lineup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United.

With their first loss against one of the hosts, the team coached by Hugo Broos must end the clash with points; it doesn’t matter if it is one or three.

However, to do that, the South African’s must change the way they played against Mexico. Let’s be honest, they are not particularly gifted from a technical standpoint and lost their match against Mexico due to their own mistakes.

With that said, the Rainbow Nation has to learn when to start from behind with the goalkeepers and defenders, and when to go long to secure the position and fight for that second ball.

Mexico’s first goal came from a confidence mistake, when everyone knew they should have played that ball to their striker, as the Mexican’s defended poorly.

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