Safa did a great job hiring Hugo Broos for Bafana: Kamohelo Mokotjo

Cape Town City midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo believes there is no major difference between English and South African football. 

Mokotjo, who has experience playing in both countries, bases this observation on the similar levels of physicality, pace and tactical awareness in the two leagues.   

The English Premiership is regarded as one of the most competitive and high-profile leagues globally, if not the best. Where Mokotjo played, in the second tier League Championship, is naturally a step down, but also known for its physical, competitive fast-paced environment. 

It was not just in England where the classy Mokotjo earned rave reviews for his silky touch, ability as a link player and positional intelligence, breaking up opposition attacks in the crucial midfield engine room — he made a reputation with such abilities in the Netherlands.

He had played one match in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), as a substitute for SuperSport United against Santos in 2008, before being snapped up by Feyenoord. Mokotjo played eight seasons in Holland, earning more than 150 Eredivisie appearances and winning the 2013-14 KNVB Cup with PEC Zwolle before four strong years at FC Twente that earned a move to Brentford in the Championship, where the South African spent three years. 

After a stint in Major League Soccer at FC Cincinnati, he finally played in the PSL again with 37 league appearances for Sekhukhune United in the last season-and-a-half. He was no longer in the plans of new German coach Peter Hyballa — who has since met a premature and bizarre end at the Limpopo club — and released in the off-season. 

On Saturday, 33-year-old Mokotjo played a strong 90 minutes at the club where he seems likely to end his career, City, as they beat Sekhukhune 1-0 in the season-opening MTN8 quarterfinals at Peter Mokaba Stadium. 

Chair John Comitis's slickly-run Citizens, where Mokotjo will play under a Bafana legend who also spent many years playing in Europe, Eric Tinkler, in a sophisticated Mother City that seems to suit his nature, seems the perfect setting for Komotjo to play his last few years. 

Speaking to TimesLIVE Premium, Mokotjo reflected on his first extended taste of the Premiership with Sekhukhune, and prospects at City. 

“Coming back has been a great experience. I have learnt a lot from other players and the coaches,” said Mokotjo.    

“They have taught me a lot. Playing in the PSL has been familiar territory, but I am well-travelled and coached. It was not a big issue even though there were many doubters, and I proved them wrong. 

“Having played in England and America, I can say the PSL is very athletic and technical, there’s so much raw talent and that is something similar to the MLS — when I played in Cincinnati the football was very athletic.

“But it’s been good and I am grateful I am appreciated and finally the South African people are getting to see the player that I am.”   

The Citizens wasted no time in securing the Bafana international who will add depth and experience to Tinkler's side alongside fellow signings Fortune Makaringe, Hasheem Domingo, Prince Tjiueza, Lefa Aphane and Kayden Francis. Mokotjo believes he has landed in a space that will appreciate his abilities. 

“I have vast experience of the game, I am very healthy, still fit and I know how to influence the team I am playing for. My main concern right is how I make a team win, how I give it its core and I think I did that successfully as I know my history, which I won’t get into much depth about.”    

He [Broos] is from Belgium; I know the type of people that come from there are very direct. I am happy he stuck with his core [of players], saying how he wants to lead this country and how they can get the accolades and so far he has proven that.

It is generally felt Mokotjo should have earned more than his 23 caps for Bafana. His best spell came under Stuart Baxter where he formed a strong midfield partnership with Dean Furman that helped carry South Africa to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, shocking the hosts in front of 80,000 home supporters at Cairo International Stadium in the second round. 

While that team’s performance — scraping through the group stage as the 16th-placed qualifiers — was not met with huge excitement at home, it arguably laid a foundation for greater confidence from notoriously brittle Bafana that culminated in Hugo Broos steering them to the bronze medal in Ivory Coast this year. 

Mokotjo gives full credit to the hugely experienced, outspoken 72-year-old Belgian.   

“What I like most about Broos is he is very confrontational; he knows what he wants and the type of player he wants. He has been there, seen it and done that.    

“He is from Belgium. I know the type of people that come from there are very direct. I am happy he stuck with his core [of players], saying how he wants to lead this country and how they can get the accolades and so far he has proven that.    

“He is a good coach and from what I have heard he is a good person too. It is good to have coaches who are good human beings as well. Congratulations on what he has achieved, but we as South Africans are never satisfied. There is still a lot of work to do, but he is on the right track — great appointment from Safa [the South African Football Association].”

City meet Orlando Pirates in the two-legged MTN8 semifinals.