Former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates striker Siyabonga Nomvethe has given his opinion on Relebohile Mofokeng’s Bafana Bafana situation, assessing the attacker’s chances of earning a spot in the AFCON squad.
The 21-year-old winger was left out of the national team squad for the recent international friendly match against Zambia. This comes as he is no longer a regular starter for Orlando Pirates, with his form having dropped this season.
For someone who was in terrific form in the last two seasons, his regression has seen him failing to score a single goal across all competitions this term. In the 14 appearances he has made, Mofokeng has managed just two assists.
That left Bafana coach Hugo Broos coming hard on the SAFA School of Excellence graduate by excluding him from the national side. Broos’ stance on Mofokeng has sparked fears that the player might be left out of the squad that will do duty at the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco in December and January.
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“Sometimes it happens in football, it’s normal [Mofokeng being dropped from Bafana squad]. But I believe he is doing well, he is young, and he deserves to be in the national team. Yes, he deserves to go to AFCON,” Nomvethe told FARPost.
“I would say he just needs to work double shift, he must work hard even after training, that extra effort, extra session. You need to bring the fitness level higher, and he is still young. You can play even two or three games in a week, if you have the energy. He mustn’t put himself under pressure. Bring back his performance on a higher level. In football, these things happen; maybe opponents now know him, and they tightly mark him. Everyone just wants to do their best against him.
“As a former footballer, I know players talk about how to contain this and that player. They will even plan to kick you as a solution. Nobody wants you to get the ball.
“It’s the same as me, when I was playing, they knew that I was good and I had speed, so they would kick me. Mofokeng must just know this and continue working hard.”
Nomvethe believes that even after Mofokeng has dropped in form, he still deserves to go to Europe.
“He is contracted to Pirates, but I’m sure Pirates have to decide to sell him. He is ready to go abroad. I feel he can go and do well if he gets an opportunity. AFCON and the World Cup are big opportunities to get a club in Europe,” added Nomvethe.
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