Mofokeng Is South Africa’s Yamal: Mabasa

Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa has heaped praise on his teammate Relebohile Mofokeng, describing the 20-year-old as a talented young player who has captured the nation’s attention.

Mabasa’s comments come after Mofokeng’s impressive performances for Pirates and Bafana Bafana.

“The boy is talented, the boy is a star,” Mabasa said.

“I can’t remember or recall a youngster in South Africa getting so much attention as that boy has received.”

Mabasa highlighted Mofokeng’s dedication to his craft, noting that the young player has consistently worked hard to improve his game.

“This boy has never been in a standard to lose his form; instead, he’s just continuing to work even harder,” Mabasa said.

“You know he wants to get better; he wants to improve every day.”

Mabasa also revealed that Mofokeng’s work ethic is evident in his approach to the game, as he often spends time watching footage of his games to learn from his mistakes.

“Another thing about Rele is that when we are in camp, you will see him staying alone watching his laptop to check his games because he wants to learn from the mistakes he made previously,” Mabasa explained.

Mabasa believes that Mofokeng possesses a special talent that will be difficult for another player to replicate.

“He just wants to improve heading to the next game, and he is special and has a special talent, and it’s going to take for long time to get a talent like him,” he said.

Drawing comparisons to Spanish star Lamine Yamal, Mabasa hopes that Mofokeng can reach similar heights in the football world.

“You know what Yamal is for Spain, and that’s what Rele is for South Africa,” Mabasa said. 

“I hope he can be at that level of Yamal in the entire world.”

Mofokeng’s rise to prominence began in the DStv Diski Challenge with the Buccaneers, before he was promoted to the Orlando Pirates first team in the 2022/23 season at just 18 years old.

He played two games and scored one goal in that season, but it was just the beginning of his rise to stardom. Since then, Mofokeng has been an outstanding player for Pirates, starting every game over the last two seasons. 

He won the Betway Premiership Young Player of the Season award in the 2023/24 season and made his debut for Bafana Bafana in June last year against Zimbabwe in a FIFA World Cup 2026 match qualifier.

This past season, Mofokeng enjoyed a great campaign, earning multiple award nominations, including Footballer of the Season. He is nominated against Lucas Ribeiro of

Mamelodi Sundowns and Sekhukhune United’s Keletso Makgalwa.