How Mamelodi Sundowns shockingly rejected Orlando Pirates superstar Relebohile Mofokeng: 'He was coming along alright but..'

Youth development expert Floyd Mogale has opened up about the day Mamelodi Sundowns opted against signing a 12-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng.

Despite the youngster showing clear technical promise during a stint in Gauteng, the decision-makers at the club were reportedly concerned that he lacked the physical presence required to make it at the highest level.

Speaking on the TimesLIVE podcast, Mogale detailed how the diminutive playmaker was scouted from Sharpeville in the Vaal area and brought into the Sundowns ecosystem for assessment.

“They [Sundowns scouts in the Vaal] told us about Rele; he was in Sharpeville, and he was 12 years old,” Mogale recalled.

“We [as Sundowns] brought him in for the Sunday programme, and we were monitoring him.

"He was coming along alright, but he left immediately. I think the coaches did not understand him. Also, he was tiny; he was very tiny at that time."

The rejection of Mofokeng highlights a recurring issue in South African youth development, where physical stature is often prioritised over technical ability.

Mogale lamented the fact that coaches often look for "gorillas" rather than nurturing late bloomers who possess superior ball skills and vision.

This shortsightedness ultimately allowed one of the country's most natural talents to leave the Chloorkop gates for good.

“He was a little bit tiny because we think a good player must be big," Mogale explained.

"Augusto [Palacios] used to say ‘a player must be a gorilla’.

"You need to look at the parents to assess physical growth potential.

"With proper development and nutrition, the player will grow. But we are impatient.

"We look at them and say this one is too small, he won’t grow.

"You look at Lionel Messi; if Messi were born in South Africa, he would not be Messi today.

"We would have quickly said he must go. This is how we lost Rele at Sundowns.”

After being offloaded by Sundowns, Mofokeng did not let the setback deter him.

He was quickly spotted by another coach who took him to the prestigious School of Excellence, where he spent five years refining his craft.

His breakthrough eventually came at the Under-19 Pirates Cup, where Orlando Pirates scouts saw enough to immediately bring him into their DStv Diski Challenge set-up in 2022.

Mofokeng’s rise since joining the Buccaneers has been nothing short of meteoric.

After training with the senior squad under Jose Riveiro, he made his first-team debut against Royal AM at the end of the 2022/23 season.

He has since established himself as a full Bafana Bafana international and the creative heartbeat of the Pirates attack, leaving Sundowns to wonder what might have been if they had shown more patience with the "tiny" kid from Sharpeville.

The dribbling wizard has produced dazzling displays for the Sea Robbers in the 2025/26 season as his side is pushing to dethrone Sundowns and win the league for the first time since 2012.

Mofokeng has been a key figure at Pirates under head coach Abdeslam Oaddou, who has used the highly-rated star in the number 10 role.

The 21-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 32 games in all competitions with the Soweto giants.

With the current season reaching its business end, the youngster has been tipped by fans and pundits to walk away with the Footballer of the Season award at the end of the campaign.