Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has praised Royale Union Saint-Gilloise midfielder Relebohile Mofokeng, indicating he will play a bigger role in the national team than under Hugo Broos.
Mofokeng, 21, has played different roles in his career as a football player, under former Orlando Pirates head Jose Riveiro, Mofokeng played as a left winger or right winger and he initially continued like that under Abdeslam Ouaddou as well, but the Moroccan later also started to use him in the number 10 role as well.
Former Bafana coach Hugo Broos played him in that role and insisted for him the skilful player is not a winger.
On Thursday, Mosimane emphasised that he believes in Mofokeng and explained what the 21-year-old brings to the team.
“I don’t know if the coach did not believe in him. I have to go with what is right,” Mosimane stated.
“I saw the boy playing very well in his last two games in the World Cup – he did well, he dribbled, he played in the different role of the 3-4-3 and he has been used as a 10 on the right in the formation of the 3-4-3 which he has never played in, and adjusting to that formation, scoring goals.
“Remember at Orlando Amstel Arena we used to see him playing as a winger, suddenly he is a 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation. So the boy shows us he can play in different formations and wherever he has been playing, his been scoring or assisting.
“It’s good, let’s keep going with him, he is young. 2030 [World Cup] we need to build on that platform and give them a chance.
“He is scoring in Europe, in a high league.”
The former Pirates midfielder has been flying high at USG in Belgium, having scored three goals in five league matches. He has also already lifted a trophy when USG won the Super Cup beating Club Brugge, where he netted the deciding penalty.