Lady luck continues to smile on Relebohile Mofokeng
Relebohile Mofokeng has had an incredible month, including making his debut for Bafana Bafana in the 3-1 win against Zimbabwe earlier in the week.
Orlando Pirates beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on Saturday 1 June 2024,in the FA Cup final. Picture: @orlandopirates/ X.
JOHANNESBURG - Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng's star is on the rise and has a bright future ahead of him.
The 19-year-old has had an incredible month so far, having scored the winning goal for the Buccaneers in the Nedbank Cup final to bring the curtain down on a phenomenal debut season with the first team.
Mofokeng also made his debut for Bafana Bafana in the 3-1 win against Zimbabwe earlier in the week.
His talent is undeniable, and many local pundits and fans agree that he has what it takes to make it in the big leagues abroad.
Pirates coach Jose Riveiro and his national team counterpart, Hugo Broos, agree that he should spend another season honing his craft in the Premier Soccer League.
This is while others like former Bafana star Teko Modise believe he should go overseas as soon as possible.
Speaking at Supersport's launch of their Euro2024 coverage, where he is one of the expert panellists, Modise reckons Mofokeng will develop into a fine player wherever he goes.
"I guess there is always the conversation about 'no, he's not ready for Europe', but at what age are you supposed to be ready for Europe? At the end of the day, you're going to a team where you'll be coached and you’re getting better. While you're here in South Africa, you're still getting coached and getting better," Modise said
South Africa has had a lean run in the world's most popular leagues over the past decade.
In the England Premier League, Burnley's Lyle Foster was the sole Bafana representative. Before him was Percy Tau at Brighton three years ago.
Mofokeng went for trials with Wolverhampton Wanderers last October and there has been concrete interest from Spain as well. Modise hopes Mofokeng will follow the path laid out by some Bafana legends before him.
"I don't think there's a right time or a worse time, we have to bear in mind that age matters. The sooner you go, the better. Steven Pienaar left early, how many years did he play in the EPL? Benni [McCarthy] left early and Mbazo [Aaron Mokoena]. There's a lot of players that left early and we never said anything about them, but they all became successful at that level," said Modise.