Beyond his defensive responsibilities, Booth is encouraged by the progressive nature of Mbokazi’s game, noting that the modern game requires defenders to act as playmakers.
The ability to break into the final third added a new dimension to South Africa’s game, making them a more unpredictable threat to opposition managers.
“I don’t usually talk about centre-backs and their passing because sometimes they don’t get enough pressure,” Booth said.
“But in this case Korea really put pressure on our back four.
“So it was great for him to make 48 successful passes. And most of them were positive too.”
“Mbokazi also made three good passes in the final third.
“So he’s not afraid to go forward and that’s probably what worries me the most: he understands when to get into space and that’s something that centre-backs have to try to improve.
“At the end of the day, they are the new midfielders of today.”