Chicago Fire FC centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi has admitted that he faced a 'difficult' time amid public scrutiny of his transfer from Orlando Pirates, but expressed confidence his time to play in more established leagues will come.
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos repeatedly publicly criticised Mbokazi's MLS transfer before and during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, suggesting the 20-year-old should have gone to Europe and was ill-advised to choose MLS.
Despite being in the centre of a national storm, Mbokazi handled the furore maturely with solid performances in South Africa's run to the last 16.
Speaking to the media on Thursday in isiZulu, Mbokazi told journalists: "It was very difficult when people were talking back home, saying different things, but we persevered... Age allows me to explore different things and to explore my talent at a higher level.
"I enjoy being here; I deserve to be here and I would like to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity to be here. Everything has its own time.
"I am still enjoying my time here as a young player and if I need to go somewhere else [with a more established league], that will happen in its own time."
Broos's comments on Mbokazi and agent Basia Michaels caused uproar in South Africa after some choice words over the centre-back allegedly missing his flight to the national team camp. Broos suggested, purportedly tongue-in-cheek, that Mbokazi would enter his office as a Black man and leave it as a white man after a dressing down.
His description of Michaels as "a nice little woman who thinks she knows football" did little to help his cause and he was reported by political party the United Democratic Movement to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The Belgian denied claims of racism or sexism, apologised for his delivery, but stuck to his claims on the Chicago Fire transfer.
One notable Chicago Fire export to a major club was Jhon Durán, who signed for Aston Villa in 2023. After two years at Villa Park, the striker moved to Al-Nassr, and currently plays for Zenit St. Petersburg on loan.
Apart from players who leave for Europe, a growing MLS has its own measure of star power due largely to the presence of veterans such as Lionel Messi - who Puso Dithejane, a fellow new South African signing who recently arrived from TS Galaxy, cited as having caught his attention.
"I know Chicago Fire. I've been following them - especially on Instagram. I've been checking their score updates and following their games in the MLS. I know them specifically for beating the team that Messi plays in," 21-year-old Dithejane said.
The Fire beat Messi's Inter Miami 5-3 last season, before Mbokazi arrived in December and Dithejane last month.
The Men in Red will begin their new campaign on Feb. 21 away to Houston Dynamo. Kick-off at 3:30AM the following day in South Africa due to the time difference between the two hemispheres, with Mbokazi and Dithejane both potentially set for their MLS debuts.