Mokwena hopes Mofokeng and a ‘golden generation’ can lead Bafana to AFCON glory
· Citizen
Rulani Mokwena believes Relebohile Mofokeng can spearhead a golden generation of South African footballers to success at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Visit casino-promo.biz for more information.
Mofokeng on song
The 21-year-old Mofokeng, who moved to Union St Gilloise this season from Orlando Pirates, has got off to a brilliant start to the campaign for both club and country.
Most recently, ‘President Yama2K netted his first goals for Bafana, scoring a superb brace as Pitso Mosimane’s side thrashed Eritrea 5-0 in a 2027 AFCON Group D qualifier in Cairo.
South Africa certainly has a lot of impressive young players coming through at the moment. Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Puso Dithejane have been shining for Bafana and at Chicago Fire in the USA. There is Olwethu Makhanya, who was yesterday named Scottish Premiership Player of the Month at Glasgow Rangers and who was excellent in the AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea. And there are Belgium-based Mofokeng and Shandre Campbell, to name but a few.
“I think South Africa is preparing the next golden generation and I think these are very exciting times,” said Pyramids FC head coach Mokwena, in an interview with the South African Football Journalists Association.
“Rele is probably spearheading that. Hopefully he can continue to stimulate and give ambition to a lot of other players, to say ‘he has done it, this is the blueprint.’ The PSL can be a place to shine and develop. To achieve at home is important (Mofokeng won the Betway Premiership last season with Orlando Pirates as well as smany knockout trophies).
“It helps that you don’t get exposed too fast. There is a very special group coming through and hopefully this is the group that can give us our second AFCON.”
Mokwena revealed that when he was a coach at Mamelodi Sundowns he spotted Mofokeng playing for the Transnet School of Excellence.
‘There is a number 10 you have to sign’
“Immediately I got on the phone to Shawn Bishop (then Sundowns Head of Academy) and I told him ‘there is a number 10 you have to sign,” said Mokwena.
“At that moment Shawn told me Pirates were trying to sign him. He could have been at Sundowns but maybe then he wouldn’t be where he is now. Pirates was very important for him, they gave him an opportunity to play.
“Rele needed the environment at Pirates, to have (Thapelo) Xoki, (Kabelo) Dlamini, (Nkosinathi) Sibisi, (Makhehleni) Makhaula around him to guide him. He needed to have that capacity of coaches and club and mentorship that Pirates provides. He has become an incredible ambassador, not just for South African football but for Pirates too.”
Former Bafana head coach Hugo Broos had said Mofokeng may need some time to adapt to the demands of Belgian football. But he has hit the ground running at Union, and Mokwena has an explanation for why it has not been so difficult for him. The former Pirates and Sundowns coach also does not necessarily agree with a suggestion that Mofokeng could do with getting physically bulkier.
‘A club that seems to have a plan for him’
“He is fortunate that he is at a club that seems to have a plan for him,” added Mokwena.
“When I have watched some of his games I have not seen him play more than 60 minutes. There does seem to be some sort of progressive way of inducting Rele. It tells me there is a certain plan and logic behind the scenes being followed, and I believe it also involves adaptation from a training perspective.
“It is not just about strengthening and bulking up, I am not a big believer that you have to be big and strong to be a top player.”
Mokwena believes that the standard of training and the intensity of football in the PSL is setting an example that is attracting overseas leagues, especially Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA.
“South Africa is such an interesting league for the MLS in particular. When they do studies and collect data from the SA leagues, from a physical context, not just with distances covered … with overall intensity in relation to acceleration and deceleration, and with actions per minute, our league is in and around the range of the MLS.
“Clubs in the MLS are finding that in the South African league, the intensity, the physicality and the profile of player sets a very good preparation for being able to adapt.
“I would presume because of this (the standard of the PSL) it has not been to much of a jump for Rele to adapt to the type of profile of the Belgian league. He can even prepare himself for leagues like Spain where they don’t need big, strong bulky players to dominate space.”
‘He has surprised me’
Mokwena has been surprised and impressed by the way Mofokeng has developed so quickly into the player he is.
“He has surprised me because from where he was at the School of Excellence, to where he is now, I am a bit surprised how fast his growth and development has been,” he added.
“But this is also to do with the support he has received from his parents, his social support, and the Pirates structure at the club, with the coaches and players around him. We are fortunate to witness one of the best players of his generation.”