Sechaba Mofokeng has revealed how his son, Relebohile Mofokeng, turned down a more lucrative offer from Mamelodi Sundowns to join Orlando Pirates, with the young attacker’s decision ultimately proving pivotal in his meteoric rise in professional football.
The 22-year-old has since established himself as one of South African football’s biggest talents, becoming a key figure for Pirates and Bafana Bafana before earning a move to Belgian Super Cup champions Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.
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However, his journey could have taken a different direction had he accepted Sundowns’ initial proposal, which included a significantly higher monthly salary than the offer presented by the Buccaneers.
Speaking on Giants, Sechaba recalled how Sundowns, under club president Patrice Motsepe, wanted his son to join their U19 side, with the promise of promotion to the reserve team in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) if he performed well.
“Motsepe wanted him to play for the U19s and offered him R15,000 – and if he did well, they would promote him to the reserve team in the DDC,” Mofokeng said.
The family had initially indicated that they would respond to Sundowns on the following Tuesday. However, when that morning arrived, Pirates representatives were already waiting outside their gate with an offer of their own.
“We told them we would get back to them on Tuesday… and on the Tuesday morning when we opened the gate, Pirates people were outside the gate, they said Mr Khoza wanted Rele,” he explained.
Unlike Sundowns, Pirates were offering Relebohile an opportunity to play in the DDC, but for a considerably lower salary of R6,000 per month.
With the two clubs presenting different financial packages, Sechaba left the final decision to his son, who would have to weigh up the immediate financial benefits against the potential pathway into senior football.
“The Pirates contract was to play in the DDC, for R6000. I asked them for two minutes to discuss it. Eish – I said the ball is in your court my friend.
“You choose Yellow, they give us R15,000 per month, you go to Pirates, they give you R6000 per month.”
Relebohile did not immediately provide an answer, instead telling his father that he would speak to him after their bath.
“He then said, I’ll talk to you after our bath. That was the President’s words, so we had no choice but to wait,” Sechaba recalled.
When the conversation eventually took place, the young footballer made his preference clear, insisting that he wanted to join Pirates despite his father attempting to explain the financial difference between the two offers.
The reason behind his decision, however, was rooted in his belief that the Soweto giants offered a clearer route into the first team.
“After the bath he said he wanted to go to Pirates, when I tried to explain he insisted on Pirates, I asked him why he was choosing Pirates, he said a majority of their players are coming from the DDC to make it into the first team.”
In hindsight, Relebohile’s decision proved to be a defining moment in his career. His progression through Pirates’ development structures and subsequent breakthrough into the senior side helped establish him as one of the country’s most exciting young footballers.
His performances for the Buccaneers earned him recognition at international level with Bafana Bafana, while his subsequent move to Royal Union Saint-Gilloise marked another significant step in a remarkable rise that began with a choice between two of South Africa’s biggest clubs.