Aaron Mokoena , nicknamed “Mbazo” or “The Axe” due to his uncompromising tackling skills, is a South African footballer and the youngest ever player to have represented the country internationally.
Not only a talented player for his national team, the central defender has also enjoyed success in English football at Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth.
Mokoena’s career began in his native South Africa with Ajax Cape Town before moving to Europe to play at Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen and KRC Genk. Mokoena fulfilled his dream of playing in the Premier League after joining Blackburn Rovers in January 2005, and went on to make 101 appearances for the Premier League club, with his 2009 goal in the FA Cup replay against Sunderland at Ewood Park voted goal of the season for 2008–09.
In 2009, Mokoena moved to another Premier League club, Portsmouth, signing a three-year deal. He made his mark when his first goal against Coventry kept Pompey in the FA Cup, becoming one of the most important goals in the history of the club. A new contract in 2010 kept Mokoena at the club until 2013, and he made 70 appearances for the club during his tenure.
At the start of what would become a glittering international career, Mokoena became the youngest-ever South African international player when he made his debut in 1999, only months after his eighteenth birthday. Mokoena obtained an incredible 107 international caps, regularly captaining South Africa in major competitions including the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.