Orlando Pirates respond to Relebohile Mofokeng's exit rumours amid Al-Ettifaq links - 'We need him to compete at the highest level'

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has responded to reports linking Relebohile Mofokeng with an exit amid rumours Al-Ettifaq are interested in the Bafana star.  

The Moroccan tactician said he is not surprised that the 20-year-old has attracted interest from a lot of clubs, but insisted that he needs him at Pirates. 

“Well, I read this news as well. With such a talented player, of course, it attracts a lot of clubs, but I trust my board, and I trust the club, because he’s definitely one of our major players this season. We need him to compete at the highest level; we need these kinds of players in our team,” Ouaddou told reporters.

“As a coach, I’m still confident [we can keep him], but you never know in football what can happen, but right now I’m confident, since I have not received any information [that he will be leaving], but definitely… I hope he will stay with us, but we will see.”

Given that he has established himself as a top player for the club, the Soweto giants are expected to try hard and hold onto him for quite a long time, especially given their ambition to successfully compete in several competitions.

However, the Ettifaq link could be tempting for the Bafana Bafana forward, as he would be lured by the prospect of linking up with his friend and former teammate Mohau Nkota.  

Mofokeng and Nkota, while at Pirates, were seen as the club's most promising stars that would form the core of a successful unit, but the former completed the move to the Saudi Pro League side when Bucs were in their pre-season in Spain.

The School of Excellence product was involved in Pirates' MTN8 quarter-final 2-0 win over Polokwane City on Saturday.

Given that Pirates will face the Premier Soccer League defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final, Ouaddou will need his star player fully focused despite the speculation around his future.  

However, the coach, as well as the club's fans, will have their fingers crossed for some time until it becomes clear that Mofokeng is staying or is leaving.