Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has addressed the growing concern around Relebohile Mofokeng’s recent dip in form, insisting that the young Orlando Pirates forward remains an important part of his plans despite transfer distractions.
The 19-year-old sensation, once hailed as the future of South African football, has not been at his best this season. While his Buccaneers teammate Mohau Nkota secured a big-money move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq, Mofokeng stayed behind at Pirates a situation that Broos believes has unsettled the winger.
Transfer noise affecting Relebohile Mofokeng’s focus?
“With Rele, you can expect it a bit (the loss of form),” said Broos earlier this week. “There was interest from everywhere. Almost every team ‘wanted’ him, and you also had people going around trying to sell him off. For a player, that is not good. In those moments, they can think too much about transfers instead of football.”
Despite his struggles at club level, Broos has kept faith in Mofokeng, including him in Bafana Bafana’s 23-man squad for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
“I will not drop him,” added the Belgian coach. “The qualities are still there. He just needs to focus on football and forget the rest. We will give him confidence and also talk with him it will come.”
Other Pirates shining instead
Mofokeng’s struggles are in stark contrast to the rise of new Pirates signings Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi. Both players have made instant impacts, with Appollis in particular impressing for both club and country.
“Oswin has shown an enormous evolution, improving every week,” Broos noted. “And Tshepang is in the form of his life scoring, assisting, and playing with real confidence. Those are the players we need right now.”
Related article: Hugo Broos: “Stop the Blame Game, Focus on Winning”
Bafana Bafana will host Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on October 10 before facing Rwanda in Nelspruit on October 14. For Mofokeng, the upcoming fixtures could be the perfect stage to silence doubters and prove that he still has the mental strength and focus to match his undeniable talent.
The big question remains: will the young star regain his sharpness, or will off-field distractions continue to hold him back?
