‘He is coming to Bafana to play in that (central) position, not on the wing,’ said the Bafana head coach.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says he will use Relebohile Mofokeng as a number 10 in the upcoming friendlies against Panama in Durban and Cape Town.
Bafana’s Panama tests
Bafana will play Panama at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday and at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday in two games both sides are using to prepare for the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico later this year.
ALSO READ: Five million reasons Bafana won’t play Brazil or Argentina
Mofokeng has been used increasingly behind the main striker in Abdeslam Ouaddou’s Orlando Pirates team this season, and it has seen a return to form for the talented 21 year-old.
It could well be that he and Themba Zwane are Broos’ two main options in the number 10 position when South Africa take on Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup at the Azteca Stadium on June 11.
“This season, little by little he has been coming (back),’ said Broos on Mofokeng, who scored a hat-trick in Pirates’ 6-0 hammering of TS Galaxy just before the international break.
“He is also in a different position, more central, and I think that is the future for Rele. He can play on the wing against an opponent that is not strong. But against strong opponents, he is not a winger. He doesn’t have the explosivity, the dribbling past a player down the line. His quality is his intelligence, giving good passes, using the spaces, that is what Rele is best at.
“He is coming to Bafana to play in that (central) position, not on the wing.”
The Panama matches also gives a chance to Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams to get his place back in the centre of midfield for Bafana.
Broos – ‘He learned a lot’
Adams was dropped by Broos in October 2024 for a poor attitude. Adams left Stellenbosch to join Sundowns in January 2025 and initially struggled to break into the Masandawana first team. Now, however, the 24 year-old is back and in fantastic form for Miguel Cardoso’s Sundowns.
ALSO READ: Okon’s chance to make a case for the Bafana defence
“I think the moment he went to Sundowns he thought things are done (he’s made it). More and more he was not playing, he was on the bench or in the stands. And he did what he did with the national team (in 2024). I was not happy with that,” said Broos.
“But I think he learned a lot and now when I see him … he is more mature and the qualities are still there.”
Support Local Journalism
Add The Citizen as a Preferred Source on Google and follow us on Google News to see more of our trusted reporting in Google News and Top Stories.
