Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has pleaded with supporters not to put too much pressure on Relebohile Mofokeng ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The 21-year-old winger has been the face of the Bafana team going into the World Cup.
With just under 10 caps and less experience in international tournaments, Broos feels the Orlando Pirates playmaker still has a lot to learn.
“I think the most important thing is to give him confidence. I think I do that to talk more; it’s not a conversation of minutes but little things,” Broos told the media.
“I do more with him than with every other player because I know what happened to Rele in the last two years. It’s not so easy. He came from nothing to a star here in the national competition.”
Mofokeng heading to World Cup at 21
Broos said Mofokeng still has a lot to learn to reach the highest level. The Belgian coach also tipped him to seek a move abroad to further his development as a player.
“I’m also convinced that Rele is still not on his highest level. He needs some more things, and I hope for him that he will have a transfer now and go to a bigger competition to become a better player than he is now,” he added.
“He can become a very important player for Bafana Bafana, but it is still too soon to put the pressure and all the weight of the game on his shoulders,” Broos noted.
Mofokeng will be one of the youngest players for Bafana Bafana at the World Cup. He previously featured in the 2025 AFCON and this will be his second major tournament.