Former Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says the presence of ex-Orlando Pirates assistant coach Chris O’Loughlin at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise has been critical in helping Relebohile Mofokeng quickly settle at the Belgian outfit.
Mofokeng’s transfer from Pirates to Royale Union was announced just after South Africa bowed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The midfielder, who turns 22 on October 23, immediately turned himself into a regular at his new club abroad.
Scoring on his UEFA Europa League debut against FC Viktoria Plzen has been one of the major highlights of Mofokeng’s time in Europe so far. His confidence in the Europa League has continued to grow, and against La Liga side Real Sociedad on Thursday, he created three chances and won four of five duels.
To underline how much he has settled in Belgium, Mofokeng has four goals and an assist in 11 games across all competitions this season. It is a promising start to life overseas, signalling more to come.
THE PIRATES CONNECTION BETWEEN O’LOUGHLIN AND MOFOKENG
Instrumental in making the versatile attacker sign for Royale Union was O’Loughlin, who wields some strong influence as the club’s sporting director.
The Northern Irishman grew up in South Africa and worked at Pirates between 2007 and 2008 as assistant to the late Bibey Mutombo. He also had a stint as head of academy at SuperSport United.
O’Loughlin is also the man credited with handing Benni McCarthy his first coaching gig, when he roped in the Bafana legend as his assistant at Sint-Truidense in 2015. He has been the Royale Union sporting director since July 2019, having passed through Charlton Athletic and KV Kortrijk.
Royale Union are Mofokeng’s second club in his professional career after Pirates, making the Belgian side the midfielder’s first club outside the Betway Premiership. For a player needing to adjust to a new environment, O’Loughlin has been holding Mofokeng’s hand, according to Broos.
O’LOUGHLIN’S PRESENCE ‘A HUGE ADVANTAGE’ FOR MOFOKENG
“And that is a huge advantage. If you move to Europe as a South African, you find yourself far from home in a completely different culture,” Broos told Belgian publication Nieuwsblad.
“Then it is a huge asset to have someone around who knows the culture and mentality of home. Especially in those first weeks and months.”
Broos also recounted how Mofokeng’s move to Royale Union came as Bafana prepared for the World Cup.
“We had just started preparing for the World Cup when I received a call from a contact in Belgium asking if Rele could go and undergo medical tests for a Belgian club,” Broos recalls.
But the 2017 AFCON-winning coach with Cameroon wasn’t convinced Mofokeng would fit at Royale Union and become a top performer and key player for the club. “I least expected this,” he admits.
“When I heard, after some persistence, that the Belgian club was Union, I honestly couldn’t believe it. With all due respect to the boy, because I know his qualities and I know what a fantastic footballer he is, but he is not exactly the type of player you often see at Union.”
RELATED STORY: Mokoena’s big verdict on PSL export line after Mofokeng, Mbokazi, McCarthy transfers
