Abdeslam Ouaddou believes 'President' Relebohile Mofokeng will be unstoppable at 100% as he inspires Pirates to the PSL title

Bafana Bafana international Relebohile Mofokeng scored his first goal of the season on Saturday at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium to lift Orlando Pirates over Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout.

Bahlabane Ba Ntwa had become a hard nut to crack in regulation time, forcing the match to go into extra time.

The 21-year-old then delivered a decisive strike to help the Sea Robbers claim a 1-0 win, as a result securing the second title in the competition since its inception in 1982.

It was the second silverware for the Soweto giants this season, having beaten Stellenbosch a couple of months ago to win the MTN8.

Since his return from injury, Mofokeng has played five games across all competitions and managed to assist two goals, score one, and provide a couple of pre-assists. 

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has no doubt that his versatile attacker can't be stopped when he plays at his full potential, which will help the Buccaneers win the title. 

"The season before he played 40-45 matches, he is not a robot," the former Morocco international defender told the media.

"I can understand that he was a bit tired; we gave him some rest, and he came back with very good fitness.

"You can see in the last three, four matches he was part of the success of the team, he did some fantastic assists," Ouaddou added.

"You can see the difference between a fit Rele Mofokeng and a tired Rele Mofokeng. 

"Rele Mofokeng, even at 70% of his possibilities, he can help the team. I cannot imagine when he is 100%. If he is 100%, the President is someone who can make us win the title," he concluded.

Mofokeng struggled to replicate his exploits this season after doing well in the 2024/25 edition.

His performances led to speculations about his future at the club, with top teams linked with his services ahead of the ongoing campaign.

Unfortunately, none materialised, and the attacker remained at the Soweto giants. 

South Africa coach Hugo Broos felt that was the main reason why his star player struggled for form at the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign.

“This is not my job, to interfere with this kind of thing, [advising players on clubs to join]," he told the media.

 “Why is Rele not at the level he was last year? It’s very clear, they made him crazy! 

"You can’t ask a guy at the age of 20, that he can say yes, I’m concentrating on football, not what those guys are telling me, I’m not listening. At the end, you listen, and this is normal; you can’t blame Mofokeng for that.
“Maybe it’s in my job to go to those guys and say pay attention to this and blah blah blah; but that’s all I can do," Broos added. 

He however, included him in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad that will play in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

“About Relebohile, I like him as a player. He’s a very good player; he’s a very talented player. 

"Had a few problems now in the past week with an injury, so I was very happy to see him play again with Pirates, and that’s why I didn’t doubt one second to take him with the selection," Broos justified his decision.

Orlando Pirates have seen some top names from their academy, like Mohau Nkota and, most recently, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, leave for greener pastures.

Mofokeng, who is arguably the most talented, might be following suit if he continues delivering for the Soweto giants.

AFCON presents him with the best opportunity to market himself to the outside world.

Domestically, he has the Premier Soccer League and Nedbank Cup to win for the Buccaneers.