Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mandla Masango has shared his thoughts on Relebohile Mofokeng’s qualities, despite his sluggish start to the season and his recent resurgence ahead of the AFCON tournament.
The 21-year-old stopped being a regular starter for Orlando Pirates at the beginning of this campaign, as his performance deteriorated due to injury issues.
Mofokeng went on to miss Bafana Bafana’s international friendly against Zambia last month, which raised eyebrows among many SA football fans ahead of the national team selection for the AFCON tournament.
However, the talented winger has redeemed himself in the last two games for the Buccaneers, delivering a Man of the Match performance in their 2-0 victory over Durban City FC in a league match and scoring the winning goal in the Carling Knockout Cup final against Marumo Gallants a week ago.
In addition, Mofokeng went on to be named Pirates’ Player of the Month for November and December, as voted on by the the Soweto giants’ faithful.
‘CLASS IS PERMANENT’: MANDLA MASANGO ON RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG
Masango stated that ‘Rele’ is an important player who always impacts the game, regardless of how he performs on any given day, simply because he is a rare breed.
He believes Mofokeng will add value to Hugo Broos’ 25-member squad for the AFCON tournament set to be staged in Morocco from 21 December 2025.
“I think class is permanent. If you are talented, you are talented. You can have one or two games without exceptional performances, but he still impacts the results,” said Masango in an exclusive interview with FARPost.
“So, you saw what he did recently [won Man of the Match against Durban City and helped Pirates win the Carling Knockout Cup]. He is an exceptional talent. We should give him his flowers.
“As much as he is young, he is still humble and wants to learn, improve, and follow in the footsteps of Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who secured moves overseas. He is just a step away.”
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