In our historical archives Aaron Mokoena, known as “Mbazo” or “The Axe” because of his tackling skills, was born on the 25th of November. Mokoena was born in Boipatong, Gauteng, South Africa. He was the youngest player to have ever represented South Africa, having played in 1999 for the 2000 Olympics qualifiers aged 18 – 19.
He later replaced Lucas Radebe as captain of his country. Mokoena made his debut for Blackburn on the 8th of January 2005 in an FA Cup match against Cardiff City, coming on as a 43rd-minute substitute for Barry Ferguson. Mark Hughes then began utilizing Mokoena as a holding midfielder for the matches.
Mokoena then went to be a regular on the starting lineup for the remainder of the season, appearing 22 times in total. Mokoena scored his first goal in English football when he netted in 58 minutes and completed the full 90 minutes in a 3 – 1 victory over Bristol City at Fratton Park on the 28th of September 2010.
On the 24th of May, Mokoena then joined Portsmouth, a premier league outfit, on a three-year deal. He successfully scored his first goal for Portsmouth in the last minute of extra time, giving them a victory over their opponent Coventry City at the Ricoh arena. Mokoena played a major part in the games against Coventry, Sunderland, south coast rivals Southampton, Birmingham, and Tottenham.