Relebohile Mofokeng has made an eye-catching start to his career at Royal Union SG, with former Mamelodi Sundowns player Bennet Mnguni crediting the South African’s intelligence for helping him succeed despite his slight build.
The 21-year-old joined the Belgian club from Orlando Pirates in July, after the FIFA World Cup, and has quickly adapted to European football.
Mofokeng has scored four goals in nine appearances across all competitions since arriving at Union SG, making an immediate impression in the Belgian league.
Mnguni, who previously played for Mamelodi Sundowns, believes the attacker’s ability to anticipate situations and release the ball quickly has helped him deal with the physical demands of the game.
“The boy is short and small in stature. To compensate, he makes sure he is always first to the ball and releases it before you can touch him. If you do touch him, it is a foul,” Mnguni told KickOff.
According to Mnguni, Mofokeng’s approach allows him to avoid unnecessary physical contact while remaining a constant threat to opponents.
“The reason he rarely ends up on the floor is because he avoids contact. He simply wants to move into space. When he dribbles past you, he makes sure you are still five metres away,” he added.
Mnguni said that understanding of space and timing was a major reason why Mofokeng had become such an exciting player to watch.
The forward has also continued to influence matches at international level with Bafana Bafana. He scored twice against Eritrea in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier and has become an important member of the national side since Pitso Mosimane took charge.
His performances for both club and country have increased attention on the youngster, who is quickly establishing himself as one of South Africa’s most promising young talents. He is also known as President yama 2k.
Mofokeng has already attracted interest from several teams during his short spell in Belgium. He could leave Union SG at the end of the season, with an outstanding debut campaign potentially leading to a move to one of Europe’s top clubs.
