Pirates starlet Relebohile Mofokeng wanted to be at Afcon, says his time will come

Orlando Pirates starlet Relebohile Mofokeng wanted to be at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in the Ivory Coast as part of his learning process, but he accepts time is on his side. 

The promising Mofokeng, 19, has been given a break by coach Jose Riveiro and he has made 20 appearances for the Buccaneers in all competitions so far this season. 

The youngest player at Afcon is Wilfried Nathan Douala of Cameroon, who is 17 years old, and the tournament also has other youngsters such as Lamine Camara (20, Senegal), Karim Konaté (19, Ivory Coast), Ernest Nuamah (20, Ghana) and Michael Amir Richardson Junior (21, Morocco).

Speaking during an event where he was one of the players chosen to take part in the PSL/MultiChoice Player Transformation Programme, Mofokeng said he respected the decisions of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and supports the team. 

“I wanted to go to Afcon but things don’t always go the way you want them. I wish them good luck and for now I go on with my life. Hopefully, they will call me next time,” he said. 

Mofokeng added his move to trial with English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers last year is a sign that something good is happening in South African football. 

“It was a great experience and there is not much of a difference. Getting an opportunity to go there says our country is not too far from the level of English Premiership clubs. We must just do a bit more to arrive at that level and we will get there.” 

He has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the season and that comes with its fair share of pressure at a widely supported club such as Pirates. 

“Pressure will always be there in football; you must know how you handle it. I played in the townships where there was pressure and I am used to it, so it was not a big deal. 

“I also appreciate the support from the supporters and they never put me under pressure at the beginning when I was finding my feet.” 

Mofokeng said he looked up to teammate Thembinkosi Lorch. 

“In South Africa, the player I looked up to is Thembinkosi Lorch because I play in his position and he is the best in that position and overseas I look up to Kevin de Bruyne.”