Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has addressed the recent development of Relebohile Mofokeng in his preferred 10 role and confirmed he will not be considered as a winger any longer in the national team.
Mofokeng, 21, netted his first senior career hattrick for Orlando Pirates this weekend as they thumped TS Galaxy 6-0 to go back top of the table ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns.
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Over the last few weeks, he’s been featuring more prominently in the role behind the striker, a position he thrived in during his youth days and now seemingly being developed towards as a senior.
Broos admitted he’s peaking at the right time ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as he’s now selected as one of two playmakers, alongside the legendary figure of Themba Zwane in the 23-man squad set to face Panama twice – as preparation for the global event.
“He’s on the right time in good shape, not only for him, but Rele was in a period looking for himself, he became very quick a star here in South Africa and once you have that level, things become difficult,” Broos said.
“It happened with Rele, there was so much things around his head that he forgot to play football and this is totally normal, I don’t blame him for that, being such a young guy and then suddenly everyone wants to be with you, it’s difficult to manage that.
“So, he didn’t have such a good season last season in Pirates and this season, little by little you saw him coming and now you see Rele again, the one everyone wants to see, a very good player and in a different position.
“He’s playing more central and this is the future for Rele, he’s not a winger. He can play on the wings against an opponent that’s not so strong, but against stronger opponents, he will never player a good game because he’s not a winger.
“He doesn’t have that explosivity or on the line dribbling as a player. That’s not his qualities, his qualities are his intelligence, his good passes, using the spaces, that’s where Rele is the best and I think now that the coach at Pirates will give him that position.
“And it’s not that he scored three times yesterday that we saying, ‘ah you see’, no, no this is something we know as his best position and he’s coming, that I can tell you – to Bafana to play that position and not on the wings anymore.”
Mofokeng has scored eight goals with six assists in 28 games across all competitions for the Buccaneers this season and will now look to take his recent form into the national team.
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