How Orlando Pirates product Tefo Mofokeng has evolved at Mochudi Centre Chiefs

Tefo Mofokeng in action for Mochudi Centre Chiefs

Orlando Pirates product Tefo Mofokeng has continued his steady evolution since joining Botswana giants Mochudi Centre Chiefs on loan from the Buccaneers’ ABC Motsepe League feeder team.

The promising midfielder, who moved to the Botswana outfit to gain regular first-team football, has caught newly appointed Mochudi Centre Chiefs coach Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane’s eye with his growth and maturity in the Botswana Premier League.

Mofokeng seamlessly adjusted and became a cornerstone after arriving midway through the 2024/25 season. The then-coach, Pontsho Moloi, reinvented him from his favoured right-back position into one of the league’s deadliest wingers.

And ‘Yeye’ is amazed by how the Orlando Pirates star has grown into a complete player, who he believes could easily break out if he returns to South Africa.

LETSHOLONYANE SPEAKS ON TEFO MOFOKENG’S GROWTH AT MOCHUDI CENTRE CHIEFS

Tefo Mofokeng in training at Mochudi Centre Chiefs
Tefo Mofokeng in training at Mochudi Centre Chiefs. Picture by Mochudi Centre Chiefs

Now armed with newfound versatility and growing confidence, Letsholonyane told FARPost that Mofokeng has become a genuine first-team contender for any Betway Premiership club.

“He is a very interesting player, with a fantastic attitude and most importantly a good human being off the pitch. His qualities mean he is a true team player who complements all the good players we have in the team. He has grown to be able to fit anywhere,” Letsholonyane told FARPost.

“Tefo has definitely grown a lot from when he first arrived in Botswana on loan. Unfortunately, an injury slowed his progress a bit, but now he is back, fully recovered, and he is working very hard to fight his way back into the starting eleven and establish himself as a regular.”

What was supposed to be just another loan move midway through the 2024/25 season has turned into a career-defining switch for the versatile player.

The 26-year-old spent three years honing his skills at Orlando Pirates’ third-tier feeder side, where he featured primarily as a right-back. However, his role transformed upon joining Mochudi Centre Chiefs, where then-coach Pontsho Moloi repurposed him into a winger.

Mochudi Centre Chiefs snapped him up in February 2025 following eye-catching displays for Pele Pele FC in the ABC Motsepe League. Whether he will make the grade back in South Africa remains to be seen.

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