Former Orlando Pirates winger Daine Klate has warned against having high expectations from youngsters like Relebohile Mofokeng too early, comparing him to talented youngsters of his time who have fallen along the way like Masibusane Zongo.
Zongo has endured tough circumstances since coming up, which have seen him move from club to club in different leagues due to what most report as waywardness.
Mofokeng on the other hand was promoted to the Pirates first team last year and has played a key role in the Buccaneers’ cup successes in the Nedbank Cup and MTN 8, respectively in the last one-and-a-half seasons. The 20-year-old has also broken into the senior national team, while also attracting interests from abroad already.
Klate told iDiski Times writer Lethabo Kganyago in edition 181 of the newspaper that he is happy that coaches are trusting youngsters more and more and throwing them in the deep end early on in their careers. However, he warns against demanding too much from them because of the risk of seeing them fall of the tracks.
“I think previously, we’ve lost a lot of talent, a lot of young talent,” Klate told iDiski Times.
“If you can go back to Masibusane Zongo compared to Mofokeng, I think Mofokeng looks like he’s really been looked after. He’s in a good environment and sometimes the pressure of performing on that level for a club of Pirates magnitude can be too much.
“But for the most part, he’s really coming and at his age to do what he’s doing it only augurs well for the national team and for a club like Orlando Pirates and yeah, even the wingers at Chiefs as well the up-and- coming boys from Chiefs.
“SuperSport United has always produced players. I myself come from that background of SuperSport United academy. It’s good to see the youngsters being blooded in.”
