Mbokazi’s will now be sidelined long-term after serious groin injury ended his Major League Soccer season, SABC Sport reports.
The Bafana Bafana defender’s agent, Basia Michaels , confirmed Mbokazi will not leave MLS during the current window despite strong interest from Europe, with clubs in Italy said to be among his admirers.
The setback follows confirmation from Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter that the 20-year-old requires surgery for a thigh tear, ending his 2026 campaign.
Mbokazi had built serious transfer momentum after a string of standout performances for South Africa at the FIFA World Cup, with a move looking increasingly likely either in this window or in January. But Michaels said that’s no longer realistic in the short term.
“Any transfer for Mbokazi would require him to successfully complete a medical, and the current situation makes that impossible because of the severity of his injury,” she said. “Unfortunately, any plans to transfer the player will have to be put on hold.”
Mbokazi will travel to Finland in the coming days for the operation. “We’ve been working over the past week to determine the best course of action for his recovery,” Michaels added. “There remains interest in his services, but at the moment that’s something we simply cannot explore.”
Chicago Fire have used him in 12 of their 18 matches last season. The injury is also a blow for Bafana Bafana, likely ruling him out of South Africa’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers in September, October and November, ahead of a tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Photo: Luke Hales/FIFA via Getty Images
