Augusto Palacios, a veteran coach with a history in SA football, has offered his perspective on how Orlando Pirates’ head coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, should manage the club’s star, Relebohile Mofokeng.
Since the arrival of the former Fulham defender, Ouaddou, at the Buccaneers, the 20-year-old winger has battled to rediscover the form that saw him become a household name in local football in the last two seasons.
Mofokeng is yet to score or make an assist in the eight matches he has featured in across all competitions this term. Although he was a threat to Stellenbosch FC during Saturday’s MTN8 final in Mbombela, Mofokeng did not finish the match.
This is a season in which the School of Excellence graduate found himself being introduced as a substitute twice and was once an unused substitute, something he was not accustomed to under Ouaddou’s predecessor, Jose Riveiro.
IS OUADDOU FAILING TO GET THE BEST OUT OF MOFOKENG?
Palacios feels that the Buccaneers coach can do better to help Mofokeng return to top form. “I think any coach who arrives at Pirates knows the quality of the squad he is taking over,” Palacios told FARPost.
“Pirates have a very good team, and I believe Mofokeng should be a regular and is a player that any coach can play in his starting line-up. Obviously, [the coach should do better to get the best out of Mofokeng]. Play him more, improve his confidence.
“Every coach has different methods and ways of doing things. The philosophy can be from the club, but every coach has the responsibility to improve the players. He has to look into ways to improve his players and not only Mofokeng, because I believe Pirates have very good players.”
THE BIG RELE MOFOKENG-TO-EUROPE DEBATE
Mofokeng has divided opinion about whether or not he is ready to play in more competitive leagues in Europe. While Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos feels the Pirates starlet is not yet ripe for Europe, Palacios disagrees.
“If a player plays CAF Champions League, local cup finals and for the national team, what more do you need to go to Europe?” the Peruvian asked.
“The club knows when the player should go or should not go. Pirates sent him to England [trials at Wolves], remember, so he is a player who is already known, an international player. He was scoring goals, creating goals and the PSL Young Player of the Year, but let his club decide when he can go.
“For example, there was [Mohau] Nkota, and no one knew him, but look at where he is now. When a player reaches this kind of level, he can go anytime.”
At the start of the 2025/26 season, Nkota joined Al-Ettifaq FC in the Saudi Pro League from Pirates. Mofokeng, on the other hand, has attracted interest from several clubs abroad, most recently Minnesota United and FC Akron Tolyatti.
RELATED STORY: Mashego exonerates Ouaddou for Mofokeng’s Pirates troubles