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Mpho Makola: ‘We have to protect him…’

Following Hugo Broos’ sentiments on Relebohile Mofokeng, Mpho Makola has shared his thoughts on what the budding star needs at the moment.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos recently shared his blunt opinion on which European leagues are best for the Orlando Pirates star.

Broos stated that Mofokeng is not yet ready to play for Spanish giants Barcelona and the top leagues in Europe, such as the Bundesliga and Serie A.

This comes after several reports stated that Barcelona are interested in signing Mofokeng, and the club had been monitoring the youngster’s process at Pirates. He was linked with Rangers FC in the Scottish Premiership and another La Liga side, Levante FC.

“He can go to Barcelona in two to three years, and he will be stronger than now. Everybody likes Mofokeng, and he is a nice guy and has a lot of talent, but he joins Barcelona now; he is just Mofokeng and will play for the second team,” said Broos recently.

“But when you talk about Rangers, what is Rele going to do in the Scottish league? He will not play there even with the talent he has. The football in that league is not ideal for Rele.

Relebohile Mofokeng in action for Orlando Pirates
Relebohile Mofokeng in action. Picture by Orlando Pirates.

“He can go to Belgium, Holland, he can go to France, he can go to Portugal, not immediately in the Premier Division, but he doesn’t have to go to Italy and Germany, for example.

“He will be ready in two to three years. But now I think he is not ready to play in such leagues even though he has the talent.”

WHAT MAKOLA SAID AFTER BROOS’ SENTIMENTS

The 20-year-old has been a cut above the rest, proving that he is destined for greater heights. This season, Relebohile Mofokeng has scored eight goals while providing 11 assists in 27 appearances for Pirates.

And Makola, who also had a stellar stint at Orlando Pirates, believes Mofokeng needs to be ring-fenced amid his rise to stardom.

“The rise is steady, and at this point, he needs to be protected just like all the promising youngsters we have,” Makola told FARPost.

“A lot of attention can be a distraction because what is needed now is to be consistent. He needs to be guided to reach his full potential for both club and country.

“That guidance and protection contributes a lot towards the end product. I’m happy to see him rise. But we must protect these young players, teach them to remain grounded and how to deal with so much attention.”

RELATED STORY: Hugo Broos changes tune on PSL standards: ‘Less fat-ass players’

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