Pirates attacker Relebohile Mofokeng gets Broos boost ahead of Downs clash

Relebohile Mofokeng has received a timely boost ahead of Orlando Pirates’ crunch Betway Premiership clash with Mamelodi Sundowns, in the form of the full backing of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. 

Mofokeng has been off the boil in the league recently but Broos included him in his squad for 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin in Polokwane and Ivory Coast next week. 

But before he is occupied with national team matters, Mofokeng has a chance to add to his two league goals when Pirates take on Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday. 

A good performance against Sundowns, who are looking to increase their lead at the top of the standings to a massive 21 points, may boost Mofokeng’s confidence and chances of playing against Lesotho and Benin. 

“There is so much around Relebohile Mofokeng for the moment,” said Broos when asked how he is going to manage him in the national team. 

“Teams are interested in him and there is pressure on him. Eight months ago, nobody knew him — and then suddenly he explodes with Pirates. He became a good player and everybody expects I don’t know what from him, but he is only 20 years old.  

“He’s only played one year in a team like Pirates — and you see his level has dropped a little bit.” 

Broos said dropping Mofokeng never crossed his mind. 

“You can’t drop him now because his level is low. I will always support him, but he has to go over this [drop in form]. Everything is up to him.

“At his club, they expect more from him than six or seven months ago. This is normal evolution with a young player is on a high level.

“People start expecting a lot from him. There is a lot of interest and it affects him. He can say, 'My agent will deal with those issues off the field,' but in his head he is thinking about where he will be playing next season. He’s asking himself, 'Will I leave Pirates and which team am I going to be playing for?' 

“It is totally normal. He is not achieving at the level he was at a few months ago. From my side, he will always be supported because he is a good player.”