Former Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has weighed in on the debate regarding whether Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng should be deployed as a number ten.
Mofokeng has shown significant development in the playmaker role at the club level, where he consistently creates chances and contributes both goals and assists.
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National team coach Hugo Broos recently stated that he intends to use Mofokeng exclusively as a ten moving forward, noting that the youngster’s impact is limited when played on the wings.
Mosimane, however, suggests that his effectiveness in the role depends on the formation, noting that certain systems suit his skill set better than others.
“He’s a top talent, the challenge is always [the question] whether he’s a winger, striker or a 10?,” said Mosimane on MSW.
“It depends how you use a ten, if you play 4-3-3, there’s no ten, it’s two tens – six and two eights. If you play 4-3-2-1, he’s a ten.
“If you play like Unai Emery, who plays 4-4-2 with wingers coming inside a lot, then he’s not a winger, he fits in well in Aston Villa’s shape.
“He’s half of almost everything but what I like now he’s scoring goals, we used to know him as someone who assists a lot.”
Mosimane believes that in high-stakes international fixtures, such as the AFCON clash against Cameroon where Bafana lost, the responsibility of playing as a “number ten” proved too heavy a burden for Mofokeng to carry alone.
“Results and what’s happening on the green grass always protects your decision,” he added.
“We always speak after the game that we said he’s not a winger, he’s a 10. When he scores as a ten, we say oh yes he’s a ten but maybe at big international games when he played ten against Cameroon [at AFCON], probably too heavy for him.”
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