Chiefs legend Khumalo names two Pirates players who are similar to him

Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has named two players who he feels are similar to him when he played.

Khumalo is regarded as one of the finest players to have come out of South Africa and backed it up by leading Bafana Bafana to their only Africa Cup of Nations in 1998.

The Kaizer Chiefs legend was among those left disappointed by South Africa’s early exit from the 2025 tournament following their elimination by Cameroon at the Round of 16 last Sunday.

Khumalo lauds Mbule and Mofokeng

Looking back from that match, Khumalo feels Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos should have utilised some of his players differently to get the best out of them.

While naming two players who he feels are similar to him, ‘16V’ identified Orlando Pirates duo Sipho Mbule and Relebohile Mofokeng as the players whose skillset mirrors his during his playing days.

“Yeah, there are two players Mbule and Mofokeng,” Khumalo told AfricaFiveSide as quoted by iDiski Times.

Why are Pirates duo similar to Chiefs legend?

“A Mofokeng that played against Cameroon, I thought he should’ve been protected like I use to play and be given ample time to be himself, don’t restrict, don’t direct.

“The remote control lose it just let him play the game, give him the space and Mbule very clever player because Mofokeng obvious the physic he is very tiny but Mbule very strong boy. I think maybe he was the answer into the Cameroon game.”

Mofokeng and Mbule did not have a big impact on Bafana Bafana at AFCON with the former starting one game, the loss to Cameroon, while the latter featured in all four matches.

The Pirates stars will be central to Bafana Bafana at the 2026 World Cup which is their next big assignment after their AFCON woes.