He’s back to his best – Rele Mofokeng has the Happy People smiling ahead of Sundowns clash
Relebohile Mofokeng has rediscovered his best form, and has won three consecutive man-of-the-match awards int the Betway Premiership.
Image: BackpagePix
The Relebohile Mofokeng that South Africa fell in love with two years ago is back in a big way after yet another eye-catching performance over the weekend.
For the third game in a row, the 21-year-old President yama2000 walked away with the man-of-the-match award after Orlando Pirates earned a deserved 3-0 win over Marumo Gallants at a packed Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
The victory saw Ezikamagebhula stretch their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership to six points ahead of reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who were not in domestic action this weekend. In a title race that is often decided by fine margins, that cushion could prove significant.
Mofokeng, who had struggled for rhythm and regular game time earlier in the campaign, played with visible confidence and intent. He demanded the ball, attacked defenders without hesitation, and looked determined to influence proceedings every time he drifted into space.
He created Yanela Mbuthuma’s fourth-minute opener, before capping his display with a brilliant solo goal, cutting in from the left wing and finishing with authority five minutes from time. The real Mofokeng is back, and Pirates supporters left satisfied not only with the result, but with the rediscovery of their golden boy.
With the World Cup on the horizon, such performances will not go unnoticed by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who has so far resisted building his system around the youngster. If Mofokeng continues in this vein, it will become increasingly difficult to leave him on the periphery of the national team’s plans.
What must also please Broos and Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is Mofokeng’s versatility. Whether deployed centrally or out wide, he has thrived. His close control in tight spaces, combined with his acceleration over the first few metres, has made him unpredictable and, more often than not, unplayable.
Mofokeng is known to have admirers abroad, and sustained form like this will only intensify interest. Pirates may soon find themselves fighting not only for a league title, but to keep hold of one of the country’s brightest talents.
The football gods, it seems, are smiling down on Orlando Pirates once more. In a season where momentum can define destiny, they appear to have chosen Mofokeng as their instrument.
All eyes will be on Mofokeng when Pirates take on Mamelodi Sundowns in a huge league clash this Wednesday. With the Betway Premiership title race heating up, every touch, run, and pass from the 21-year-old will be under the spotlight, as fans and pundits alike wait to see if he can once again deliver moments of brilliance that could define the season.
When he plays with this clarity and conviction, Pirates look like a team touched by something greater. If this is the version of Mofokeng that carries them through the run-in, then the promised land may not be a distant dream, but a destiny already being written in black and white.
IOL Sport
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