Beyond his defensive responsibilities, Booth is encouraged by the progressive nature of Mbokaziโs 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 Africaโs game, making them a more unpredictable threat to opposition managers.
โI donโt usually talk about centre-backs and their passing because sometimes they donโt get enough pressure,โ Booth said.
โBut in this case Korea really put pressure on our back four.
โSo it was great for him to make 48 successful passes. And most of them were positive too.โ
โMbokazi also made three good passes in the final third.
โSo heโs not afraid to go forward and thatโs probably what worries me the most: he understands when to get into space and thatโs something that centre-backs have to try to improve.
โAt the end of the day, they are the new midfielders of today.โ