“He Told Me He Believes In Me” — Mofokeng
Bafana Bafana attacker Relebohile Mofokeng has reflected on his FIFA World Cup debut and revealed how coach Hugo Broos’ encouragement helped him overcome his nerves.
Mofokeng made his first World Cup appearance during South Africa’s 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Introduced in the second half, the young forward played a key role in helping Bafana secure a valuable point and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
With one group-stage match remaining against South Korea in Monterrey on Thursday next week, South Africa know that victory could be crucial to their chances of progressing.
Mofokeng will also be hoping to earn his first start of the tournament after making a positive impact off the bench.
However, Bafana were dealt a setback ahead of the decisive encounter. Midfielder Teboho Mokoena picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and will be suspended for the clash against South Korea.
There was some good news for South Africa, though, as Siphephelo Sithole will be available again after serving the suspension he received following his red card against Mexico.
“The coach’s instructions were that I must play behind the defensive midfielders because there was space there,” Mofokeng told SABC.
“In the first half, I think the guys did very well to find the spaces, but we needed to create more attacks. In the second half, we did very well to put them under pressure and attack them. So I think we did very well.”
Reflecting on his World Cup debut, Mofokeng admitted that nerves were inevitable on football’s biggest stage but credited Broos for boosting his confidence.
“Obviously, it is my first World Cup and my first game. The coach told me to be confident and believe in myself. He told me that he believes in me, so I must believe in myself as well,” Mofokeng added.
“The game was very difficult because this is the biggest stage. I think you need confidence and belief in yourself. The coach told me to go out there, be myself and do my best.”
