Pitsso Mosimane calls for patience ahead of South Africa vs Egypt match

The recent move of Relobokhile Mofokeng to Europe could serve as a model for the South African national team (Bafana Bafana) and young South African players. Pitso Mosimane believes that Mofokeng possesses innate talent, but insists that the player must convert this ability into a higher number of goals scored.

Mofokeng demonstrated his abilities by scoring two goals in the 5-0 match against Eritrea in Cairo. These goals were his first senior international goals in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, in which South Africa secured its second victory out of two.

Before the match against Eritrea, Mofokeng's only goal for the national team was scored in a World Cup qualifier against Lesotho, which was reviewed. As a result, the 21-year-old footballer played 17 matches for the national team without scoring before finally breaking the drought against Eritrea, and Mosimane believes that goals should now become a regular part of his game.

Mosimane demands more goals

Mosimane stated that Relo is an outstanding player who demonstrates the reasons for his move to Europe, and that he scores there, which is the most important thing. He emphasized: "Relo must score goals."

After moving from Orlando Pirates to Royal Union Saint-Gilloise, Mofokeng did indeed start scoring. In nine matches across all competitions for the Belgian club, he scored four goals and provided one assist, including three goals in the Belgian Pro League and one goal in his debut Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen.

The coach noted: "We know what he can do with the ball, he is a magician, a smart player, but I told him that he needs to score goals because dozens score goals, not just provide assists or play between the lines; you have to score goals, but we are not teaching him anything, he is simply a gift from God."

Mofokeng fully confirmed Mosimane's words in the match against Eritrea. After hitting the crossbar at the beginning of the match, he opened the scoring in the 19th minute following a pass from Oswin Apollos. He then doubled the lead shortly before halftime, receiving the ball in the penalty area, beating defenders, and sending the ball into the far corner.

This individual class has become Mofokeng's trademark, but Mosimane wishes for the young player to combine this artistry with greater consistency in front of the goal.

The South African national team showed a five-star performance in Cairo. The national team coach had previously spoken about the importance of developing a new generation ahead of the 2030 World Cup, and Mofokeng is expected to be an important part of this group. Nevertheless, Mosimane's immediate task is simple: to continue showing productivity. Mofokeng started doing this in Belgium and impressively opened his scoring for the South African national team. Now the coach wants the goals to keep coming.

Pitsso Mosimane is setting strict demands for the Bafana Bafana national team players, emphasizing that the tactical approach and playing style must adhere to the interests of the team, rather than club preferences. He believes that every footballer is obliged to adapt to the needs of the national team.

Bafana Bafana

During the CAFCON qualifier match against Guinea, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Bafana Bafana at Orlando Stadium Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon, Aubrey Modiba and Oswin Apollos played on the left flank. Mosimane highly praised Modiba's performance as a left-back and urged him to continue playing as he does for 'Mamelodi Sundowns,' as this is the most effective way to serve the national team.

Mosimane stated decisively: 'Modiba must play exactly as he plays for Sundowns. He must take up the number 10 position. This is important. I did not invent this style for Modiba—he played like this. We must use his strengths.'

Nevertheless, Mosimane believes that Apollos and right-back Kamogelo Selebele could contribute more to the team's game in both defense and attack, as the Bafana formation differs from how they operate at 'Orlando Pirates.' Mosimane explained that Apollos knows that when Modiba drifts inside, he must stay on the flank. However, at 'Pirates,' Apollos plays shifted inside, whereas for the national team, he needs to adjust to match Modiba.

He added that at 'Pirates,' Apollos drifts inside while Deon Hotto comes in from the flank, but in the national team, he needs to remain wide on the flank instead of moving inside. Sometimes Selebele must drop back.

Mosimane's comments after the match sparked active debate on social media. Critics accused him of bias towards the 'Sundowns' playing style while ignoring the 'Pirates' system, which opponents argue promotes division among clubs instead of unity around the national team. However, the article's author maintains that such criticism is unfounded. Although Mosimane naturally prefers the system he created at 'Sundowns,' his approach is based on tactical logic that he developed many years ago and upon which the successes of subsequent coaches, including the current Miguel Cardoso, were built. Ultimately, the responsibility for game plans lies with Mosimane at Bafana Bafana, who develops strategies to neutralize the strengths of opponents, and the players must adapt to the requirements of the national team, not vice versa.