Bafana Bafana defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi destroyed a match ball in their match against the Czech Republic.
If his newly shaved head did not already make Bafana Bafana's Mbekezeli Mbokazi resemble Hitman’s Agent 47, then the physically imposing defender completely deflating the match ball in the 76th minute against the Czech Republic with a thunderous strike certainly did.
Some onlookers might even start calling him the Francis Ngannou of football — a nod to the former UFC heavyweight champion who once recorded the world's most powerful punch, clocking in at nearly 100 horsepower.
The 20-year-old former Orlando Pirates star has consistently given South African fans reasons to cheer, but Thursday night's display of raw, unfiltered power was a staggering reminder of why he is widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation athletic talent.
Possessing the sheer muscle mass of a Mr Olympia contender, Mbokazi unleashed a ferocious first-time effort at goal after the ball was laid off to him from a late set-piece. His trademark strike thudded heavily into a Czech defender, but play was halted shortly afterwards when the referee noticed the ball had visibly deflated from the sheer impact of the boot, forcing an immediate replacement.
