Botswana national team coach Morena Ramoreboli is convinced that on-loan Mochudi Centre Chiefs talisman Tefo Mofokeng has the DNA of an Orlando Pirates winger.
Mofokeng is on loan from the Soweto giants at the Botswana side Centre Chiefs.
Ramoreboli, who has closely followed the Botswana Premier League, believes the 25-year-old star has developed the consistency and physical edge needed to thrive under the demanding conditions of the Betway Premiership.
The Pirates winger, currently turning heads at Centre Chiefs, has been in scintillating form, placing him among the league’s top scorers and earning him the Player of the Month award in September. He has scored six goals and provided four assists in 12 outings so far.
Speaking to SAFJA members, Ramoreboli, who knocked Pirates out of the CAF Champions League in the 2023/24 season, made a compelling case for the talented attacker.
TEFO MOFOKENG THE TYPICAL PIRATES WINGER
“For example, there’s [Tefo] Mofokeng at Mochudi Centre Chiefs [in Botswana]. When you look at Mofokeng, you can see that, with how Pirates is playing, if Mofokeng can be consistent, he can be one of the wingers in the next season because he’s exactly what you get from the wingers at Orlando Pirates,” Ramoreboli said.
The Zebras mentor emphasised that Mofokeng’s qualities perfectly align with the profile of a modern Pirates wide player. The 25-year-old, who has adapted from a defensive role to a dynamic wing forward during his loan, has registered an impressive tally of goals and assists for Centre Chiefs.
Mofokeng’s coach at Centre Chiefs, Pontsho Moloi, who had a stint with Bay United during his playing days, concurs with Ramoreboli.
“He’s an Orlando Pirates player, and they loaned him to us. When the season started, we asked for him again, and they were very kind to loan him back to us,” Moloi told FARPost.
“He’s our top goal scorer… He’s a very dynamic guy. It’s funny because when he came here, he was a right back. I looked at him and said, ‘No way, I’ll play you as a wing forward because you’re smart, you can find your way around, and you have an eye for goal’. He has never disappointed.”
RAMOREBOLI: ‘IT’S A GOOD PLATFORM’
Meanwhile, Ramoreboli went on to praise the Botswana league as a competitive proving ground for young South African talents who sometimes hit a wall after shining in the DStv Diski Challenge [DDC].
“I think it’s a very good platform for players to grow because the league is also growing. The league is becoming very competitive, and it’s very physical,” he noted.
He suggested that formal development pathways should be established between South African clubs and Botswana sides, using Mofokeng’s progress as the model.
“If you get your players to play this side, I feel that in a year or two, they’ll be ready to play in the senior team,” Ramoreboli concluded.
RELATED STORY: Who is Tefo Mofokeng, the Pirates loanee shining for Chiefs?