‘Pirates were very aggressive’: Rulani reveals on how Downs lost out on Mofokeng
· The South African
Pyramids FC head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed that he wanted Mamelodi Sundowns to sign Relebohile Mofokeng while the winger was still at the School of Excellence.
After leaving the School of Excellence at 17, Mofokeng spent four years at Orlando Pirates before making a move to Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in July.
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Speaking in an interview with the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA), Mokwena explained how he identified the talented playmaker during an Engen Knockout competition match between the School of Excellence and Orlando Pirates.
Rulani wanted Mofokeng at Sundowns
The former Sundowns coach said he immediately contacted Shawn Bishop, who was then involved in youth development, methodology and coaching at the club’s academy, to recommend that they sign the youngster.
“One thing that I have to say, and Shawn Bishop, if you get a chance to speak to him, will tell you, there was an Engen Knockout match between School of Excellence and Orlando Pirates. Immediately I got onto the phone to Shawn, who was the Head of Youth and Methodology and Coaching with the academy at Sundowns. And I said, ‘Shawn, there’s a number 10 that you have to sign at School of Excellence,'” Mokwena said.
However, Sundowns were not the only club interested in securing Mofokeng’s services, with Pirates also working aggressively to recruit the promising youngster.
“Orlando Pirates was very, very aggressive with trying to also secure him,” Mokwena added.
Although Rulani was unable to bring Mofokeng to Sundowns, he believes the winger benefited greatly from his time at Pirates, where he was given opportunities to develop and establish himself in the first team.
Reflecting on what might have happened had the player joined Sundowns instead, Mokwena acknowledged that his career could have taken a different path.
“He could have been at Sundowns, but then we wouldn’t know whether the story would be the same or not. But Orlando Pirates was very important for him because they gave him the opportunity to play,” he said.
Mofokeng spent three successful seasons with the Buccaneers senior team before he left for Belgium.