Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has revealed the one concern he believes fans and pundits have about Relebohile Mofokeng.
Mofokeng, an exciting young talent, is carving a niche for himself in the South African football game.
Mofokeng has captivated fans and pundits alike with his skills since getting to the Pirates’ first team towards the end of last season.
After dazzling in the Pirates’ DStv Diski Challenge, Mofokeng earned a promotion to the first team towards the end of last season and, just months later, secured a trial at Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
The 19-year-old’s impressive displays in Pirates colours have seen many state that Bafana coach Hugo Broos should consider him for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to be staged in January 2024 in Ivory Coast.
However, even with such undeniable talent and performance, Jose Riveiro said that ‘people’ might be doubtful of Mofokeng’s readiness for Bafana due to his age and lack of experience at the international level.
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“All of them (Orlando Pirates players ready to play for Bafana), honesty,” said Riveiro, who insisted that Mofokeng has the necessary skills to play for SA.
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“I think we have talent in the team. We have a lot of South African players in our squad, showing that they are competitive, and in the individual case of Rele (Mofokeng), I think the only doubt that people can have about Rele is his age and experience.
“But if he gets the chance, he will get the opportunity to show if he has the capacity, but we, as his coaches, feel that he is a talented player and understands football very well, but he needs to improve. He is a very young player who still needs to understand some other things related to the game.
“Sometimes talent is not enough to cover everything this game requires, but he is working hard and very well. And I’m sure he will not disappoint anybody whenever he gets a chance, whether it is this year or next year or whenever it happens, because he is a talented football player.”