It could have been so different for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana superstar Relebohile Mofokeng before he made a big move.
Mofokeng could have joined Sekhukhune, Sundowns
Former Pirates youth coach Mandla Qhogi has revealed that Relebohile Mofokeng was close to joining other PSL sides before becoming a Buccaneer. Qhogi claims perennial champions Sundowns made a concerted effort to sign the winger, making a tempting offer to the School of Excellence. Despite that, Mofokeng had already committed to Orlando Pirates.
Via Farpost:
“I saw Rele playing a tournament, not knowing he belonged to the School of Excellence,” said Qhogi during the interview with FARPost.
“I made a follow-up after that tournament, I [found out]. Then, the School of Excellence came to play the Pirates Cup. Then, that’s where the management of the cup also saw him.
“And we still had to follow up; we didn’t sign him immediately after the Pirates Cup. We followed him even when he played in the Engen Tournament because there were too many teams then [that were] after him, and we had to accelerate the process of signing him.
“We first went to the School of Excellence to discuss with them. They gave us the go-ahead to negotiate with the parents. We went to the parents; they were happy to give Rele to us.
“Then we went to the School of Excellence and told them the parents were happy. And the club took over from there, signing him.
“I was told Sekhukhune [United] were after him but the main one was [Mamelodi] Sundowns, they even offered a huge amount to the School of Excellence, I won’t mention it. But that was after we had signed Rele.”
Pirates turned down R25.8 million from Zamalek
According to SoccerLaduma, Orlando Pirates rejected a massive R25.8 million deadline-day offer from Egyptian giants Zamalek for Mofokeng. The Bafana youngster has become a talismanic figure for the Sea Robbers, churning out 10 goals and 11 assists already this term across all competitions.
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The 2024-2025 season is over for Sesane
Key central defender Thabiso Sesane damaged tendons in the leg in the hard-fought victory over Sekhukhune. He subsequently missed Pirates’ 4-1 defeat to Sundowns and now looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The 24-year-old has featured in 13 of the club’s 14 league encounters this term. Tapeolo Xoki deputized against Sundowns and will likely be his replacement long-term.
According to MyHealthy.Alberta.ca, via FarPost, a ruptured tendon injury requires surgery and takes up to six months to heal. However, the recovery period can be even longer than that. It’s a huge blow for Pirates in their quest to win the Caf Champions League and Betway Premiership.
Upcoming tests for the Sea Robbers
Pirates got a reality check in the title race last time out, losing 4-1 to defending champions Sundowns. However, the Brazilians slipped up in a surprise defeat to TS Galaxy in their following match. All is not lost in Pirates’ quest for the Betway Prem crown. They trail Sundowns by nine points but have two games in hand. Next up for Riveiro’s side is a Nedbank Cup R16 clash at home against Baroka on Saturday 15 Feb at 15:00. The Sea Robbers return to Betway Premiership action on Wednesday 19 February, away to Golden Arrows. Kickoff in that clash is at 19:30.
Is Mofokeng already the best player in the Betway Premiership?
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