Barcelona B, Rangers? Broos says Mofokeng primed for Europe, needs right club

Relebohile Mofokeng would be committing career suicide if he moved to Rangers in Scotland; Barcelona B would be a better scenario, though not ideal, but the player should look to leagues such as Belgium, Portugal or France as better destinations, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos said.

Orlando Pirates’ emerging forward Mofokeng, 20, has made waves at his club and is finding his feet with the national team, with reported links to Rangers and Barcelona’s reserves.

Asked about the improved conveyor belt of talent in South Africa, Broos said he was pleased South African clubs have a more adventurous outlook introducing young players.

“This is something we are doing with Mofokeng now in the national team, little by little, with the qualities he has,” the coach said, speaking to a media round-table at Safa House in Nasrec on Thursday.

“When I see all the things around him — Barcelona, Rangers — I’m a bit afraid and I hope the people around him make the choice for the best sporting solution and not the best financial solution.”

Broos was asked if he would give a word of advice to the youngster.

“I don’t have the same influence as the people around him — his parents will be the best for him, I’m sure.

“There’s another guy [the agent] who wants to make a lot of money too and that’s a problem. But OK, maybe I would talk too soon now about that.

“In June ‘Rele’ will not be a player of Pirates any more, but the good choice is important.”

Broos was asked if the diminutive Mofokeng has the physical stature and intensity in his play to make it in Europe.

“Yes,” the coach said. “I said it in the first year when he came into the team.

“Because immediately there was a lot of interest in him and I said it to him also, ‘Just stay one more year. Play Champions League with Pirates and you will also have experience playing in the PSL and it’s too soon now to talk [of Europe]’.

“So that was already a good choice he made, to stay at Pirates, and now he has to make the choice [for] playing and maybe not playing immediately.

“OK, if we talk about Barcelona, he can go for two or three years to Barcelona and he will be stronger than he is now.

“Everybody likes him and he has a lot of talent — but the day he arrives at Barcelona he’s just Mofokeng, hey.

“Barcelona, because it will be the second team, playing in the second division in Spain, which is a high level — [it could be] OK, even though I’m not happy he should go [there].

“You talk about Rangers — what is Rele going to do in Scottish competition, where the ball is in the air and if you have the ball they kill you?

“He will not play there. Even with the talent he has this is not the style of football for Rele.”

Asked what would be a good destination, Broos said: “He can go to Belgium, he can go to Holland, France, Portugal. Not immediately in a big team.

“But he doesn’t have to go to Italy, or Germany. Maybe in two, three years, but I think now he’s not ready to go there. Even though he’s got the talent, but mentally, power, that is important now.

“He will gain power playing at a high level but not immediately. Take a first step before you take the big step.”

Broos said he speaks to his contacts in Belgium, advising them on the talent emerging in South Africa, revealing he played a role in 19-year-old Shandre Campbell’s transfer from SuperSport to Club NXT, the reserves of Club Brugge.

“I met, when I was on holiday in Belgium, the person responsible for the youth at Brugge, the son of [legendary Belgium goalkeeper] Michel Preud’homme [Guilian Preud’homme].

“He came to me and said, ‘We are very happy with Campbell. Thank you’.

“Because they phoned me before and said, ‘What do you think?' I said, ‘Look, he’s a man with talent but don’t take him for the first team because it’s too soon’. So he plays for the Brugge second team and maybe at the end of the season [he can be promoted or loaned].”

Asked to clarify if he speaks on South African players to talent-seekers in Belgium, Broos said: “They know [about the talent]. I got some phone calls already.”