Orlando Pirates have officially confirmed the sale of highly-rated attacker Relebohile Mofokeng, who’s making his long-awaited transfer move to Europe.
The 21-year-old playmaker has finalised his transfer to Belgian Pro League outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise following a sensational, trophy-laden spell with Pirates since stepping up to the senior ranks.
Mofokeng recently featured for Bafana Bafana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the national team made history by becoming the first South African senior men’s squad to reach the knockout stages of the global showpiece.
Hugo Broos’ charges finished second in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico to secure their historic passage to the knockout rounds. While South Africa eventually crashed out in the Round of 32 after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Canada, the exit marked the end of an unforgettable, trailblazing campaign.
Upon Bafana’s elimination, Mofokeng on Tuesday night flew directly to Belgium to finalise his highly anticipated move to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and begin his new chapter in Europe.
The talented winger offered flashes of his immense attacking brilliance whenever called upon on the world’s biggest football stage.
RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG LEAVES PIRATES WITH TREBLE-WINNING LEGACY
Mofokeng’s move comes on the back of a great campaign with the Soweto giants, where he helped the club clinch the elusive Betway Premiership title to end a painful 14-year league championship drought.
Last season, the Vaal-born star featured in 27 league matches, scoring 10 goals and registering eight assists. Mofokeng also played a pivotal role as Pirates retained the MTN8 and lifted the Carling Knockout Cup to complete a domestic treble.
The playmaker leaves the Buccaneers having racked up over 100 senior appearances, contributing 29 goals and 31 assists since his promotion to the first team from the club’s DStv Diski Challenge side in May 2023.
On Wednesday, Pirates confirmed they had reached an agreement with Union Saint-Gilloise for the transfer of the player, revealing that the deal had actually been concluded before the start of the World Cup.
TRANSFER CONCLUDED BEFORE THE WORLD CUP
“Orlando Pirates Football Club can confirm that it has reached an agreement with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for the transfer of Relebohile Mofokeng,” the Ghosts said on their website.
“While the two clubs have concluded negotiations over the transfer fee and structure of the deal, Orlando Pirates can confirm that the move remains subject to Mofokeng passing a medical examination and finalising personal terms with the Belgian Pro League side.
“The club can also reveal that an agreement in principle between Orlando Pirates and Union Saint-Gilloise was in fact reached before the start of the FIFA World Cup.
“Both parties made the joint decision to hold off on any public announcement until after the tournament, wanting Mofokeng to focus fully on the World Cup with Bafana Bafana without the distraction of transfer talk, and to allow the national team’s historic run to take centre stage.
“No further comment will be made at this time until the process between the player and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise has been fully concluded.
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