Mofokeng, Chaine & Saleng react to Nedbank Cup triumph: ‘We always break their hearts’

Orlando Pirates heroes Relebohile Mofokeng, Sipho Chaine, and Monnapule Saleng have reacted to the club’s Nedbank Cup triumph, with one player declaring: “We always break their hearts.”

In a thrilling final, Mofokeng delivered a breathtaking last-gasp goal, securing a dramatic 2-1 victory for Pirates over Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup final at a packed Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The goal by the 19-year-old Mofokeng, who earned his first Bafana Bafana call-up in midweek, proved decisive. The teenager’s strike denied Sundowns a fifth league and cup double and secured the defending champions Pirates their 10th Nedbank Cup triumph.

After the game, Mofokeng, who was filled with joy, spoke to SuperSport TV alongside Chaine and Saleng. The youngster expressed his disappointment at not starting the final but also expressed his pride at being a valuable substitute.

Mofokeng also emphasised his commitment to further establishing himself as a key player for Pirates.

“When I didn’t start, I felt bad. But I had to keep up with the game and enjoy the game and just look, see what I to do when I come on and be a game changer,” he said as Pirates came from a goal down to retain their Nedbank Cup title.

Relebohile Mofokeng reflects on his winning goal in the Nedbank Cup final

In the final moments of the match, with the score tied at 1-1, substitute Mofokeng received the ball inside the Sundowns box. Showing impressive skill, he expertly manoeuvred the ball through the legs of Bongani Zungu before deftly poking it past Ronwen Williams.

“Most of my goals are like that,” added Mofokeng, who continued in Sesotho: “Ho thata mara ke zamme, ke entse ka hohle hore ke thole goal and ke etse lebitso laka, which means “It was tough, but we tried, and I did my all to get that goal and write my name into the history books.”

However, Mofokeng made sure to share the praise, expressing his gratitude to Chaine and shaking the goalie’s hand with a big smile.

Chaine played a crucial role in the game by making a vital save on a penalty kick early in the first half, denying Ribeiro Costa the opportunity to score.

The goalkeeper stated that he didn’t save the penalty by luck but rather because he had studied Costa’s technique.

“Homework is very important [when it comes to penalties]. It is no longer a guessing game,” he said. “We do a lot of homework, but it is always 50/50 even though we don’t guess as we know which side he will go on.”

Saleng, who set up Mofokeng’s winning goal after Patrick Maswanganyi’s equaliser for Pirates, chimed in, pointing out that the Soweto giants have developed a knack for scoring late goals that crush the spirits of their opponents’ fans.

“Re dula reba roba di pelo, ha ba nahana hore reya extra-time, reya kora,” said Saleng in Setswana, loosely translated to: “We always break their hearts. As they think the game will go to extra-time we score”.

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