A couple of weeks ago most Rangers fans wouldn’t have known who South Africa talent Relebohile Mofokeng was.
Now, the club’s supporters are tuning into South African media to get the lowdown on the 19-year-old who has been turning plenty of heads at Orlando Pirates.
With Rangers said to be leading the likes of Wolves in the Mofokeng hunt this summer, the midfielder has been urged to follow the path of Steven Pienaar and make the grade in Europe.
Now, as a testament to the kid’s progress in his native South Africa, Relebohile has earned a maiden call-up to the famous Bafana Bafana.
Named in the nation’s preliminary squad for World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe, Relebohile Mofokeng’s stock could be about to rise.
But one former South African footballer has urged the country’s authorities to gradually introduce the kid to the top level in an attempt to protect his mental development.
South Africa could ‘destroy’ Mofokeng
Former Orlando Pirates forward Jerry Sikhosana has been offering South Africa some advice when it comes to Relebohile Mofokeng this week.
With the kid dominating the South African football headlines at the moment – even earning comparisons to Andres Iniesta – the hype is certainly building.
Such media exposure can be a lot for young South African players breaking through and – as quoted by South African publication Far Post – Sikhosana has urged the nation not to ‘destroy’ the 19-year-old.
“To me, for him to be in the national team, I hope it’s something to pave the way for him to move forward,” added Sikhosana.
“Sometimes, you get a better player at club level, and then you put him in the national team; that’s where he gets destroyed.
“That’s where he gets too much attention because we’re talking about a nation, not just a club. So, for him, going to the national is all about going to learn.
“If the team is doing well, give him the last 10 or 15 minutes just to build the confidence. For him to be there, they mustn’t put him in the deep end.
“It’s just to monitor him and see how he conducts himself when he’s in a group of professional players that have been there for a long time.”
Rangers target deserves ‘credit’
The signs are certainly positive that Rangers are tailing a young player full of talent who is on the verge of a real breakthrough with the South Africa team.
Nils Koppen’s transfer revolution is already well underway and the links to Relebohile Mofokeng are really in keeping with the other names linked so far.
Having broke through into the Orlando Pirates team this season, making 35 appearances, scoring four goals and laying on six assists, heads are turning in the Rainbow Nation.
Fame at the so-called big three South African clubs have gone to the heads of young players in the past but Jerry Sikhosana has been quick to credit Mofokeng for keeping his feet on the ground.
“Let’s give him credit, I always say to the boys that go to bigger clubs, it’s how you conduct yourself,” said Sikhosana.
“If you’re playing for Pirates, [Kazier] Chiefs or [Mamelodi] Sundowns, and you start getting big-headed because you think you’re doing better, I think this is something that’s destroying a lot of players.
“But Mofokeng, the way he’s conducting himself, you know, [Patrick] Maswanganyi, I don’t know going forward, but we still want to see them playing the way we’re playing now [after retiring].
“I’m 50 years old, but when I come to the people, they say, ‘No, you still look like a 35 or 38-year-old’, but this is what we want to show to the youngsters.”
