Once untouchable, Relebohile Mofokeng is no longer South Africa’s golden boy
Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana starlet Relebohile Mofokeng has had to watch his teammates seal moves abroad at the same time he struggles for form.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Not so long ago, the undeniably talented Relebohile Mofokeng was the name on everyone’s lips in South African football.
He was the prodigy Orlando Pirates supporters pointed to as the next big export, the attacker whose confidence, flair and fearlessness seemed to mark him out as one of the brightest prospects in South Africa.
At junior level, Mofokeng came through the Pirates ranks alongside Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi, with all three regarded as part of the same golden generation.
One month into 2026, that symmetry has disappeared.
Nkota and Mbokazi are now playing their football abroad. Their careers have taken off and they are on their way to stardom. Mofokeng, once the standout of the trio, has had to watch the narrative around him shift. President yama2000 has started to find himself on the bench, and is not having the same impact on games as he did last season, or the previous one.
Mbokazi’s departure from Pirates carried a sense of closure and achievement. His final match came in the Carling Knockout Cup final against Marumo Gallants, a victory that ended with him lifting the trophy as captain at just 20 years old. It was a fitting farewell. And for Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, he once again showed why he was held in high regard.
Nkota’s journey has been quieter but no less significant. In Saudi Arabia, he has continued to grow, adapting to a new league and environment while steadily adding layers to his game.
Against that backdrop, Mofokeng’s situation feels increasingly uneasy.
This season has not carried the same momentum as those before it. His influence at Pirates has waned and his status feels less secure.
Yet Mofokeng has still delivered in decisive moments. It was his extra-time winner in the Carling Knockout Cup final against Marumo Gallants that secured Pirates the trophy – a reminder of the match-winning ability that first set him apart. But one goal, even one that delivers silverware, has not been enough to halt the broader shift around him.
That shift was evident in Pirates’ first league match after the December–January break, when he was introduced only as a second-half substitute as the Buccaneers were held by Sekhukhune United. Not so long ago, he was considered undroppable.
The danger for Mofokeng is not a lack of talent – that remains undeniable – but a growing sense of stagnation. While Nkota and Mbokazi are being stretched by new demands and new standards, Mofokeng is fighting familiarity, expectation and form in a league that already knows him well.
Football careers are shaped as much by timing as by ability.
For Mofokeng, timing feels crucial now. The paths taken by his former teammates have shifted the focus from potential to urgency. Once the centre of attention, he now faces a tougher reality of being left behind. How he responds – whether he rediscovers his form from last season or looks for opportunities outside South Africa – could shape the next important chapter of his career.
IOL Sport
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