Modise and Broos aligned on Mofokeng’s positional shift and rise this season

Speaking to SABC Sport, during the launch of the Hollywoodbets Gauteng Kasi Championships on Monday, Modise says the 21-year-old is best suited to the no.10 role

This past weekend, Mofokeng scored his first career hat-trick as Pirates humiliated TS Galaxy 6-0 in the Betway Premiership to return to the top of the log. He has now directly contributed to 10 goals in the last nine matches, seven goals and three assists.  Modise says the 21-year-old is best suited to the no.10 role.

"I dont think anybody questions his talent; we're just wondering how far he can go because football has introduced us to so many talents, but eventually they fade away –maybe because of the pressure, whatever the isssue may be," said Modise

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"But look at Rele's growth now, especially this season. I think one of the biggest factors contributing to the numbers that he has is the change of position. At times, when we used to say Rele is not a winger, people thought that we were hating – but he is not a winger he is a 10.

"Rele is not a type of player to isolate 1v1 and dribble past someone, but he is so clever, his IQ game is so clever. He needs to be on the ball all the time, and in that number 10 position and you look at how much he has contributed to the club."

Mofokeng has now scored eight goals and provided six assists in 28 matches in all competitions this season, and will certainly be one of Broos’ key players in the international friendly matches against Panama this week. Modise, a former Pirates player himself, says the young lad is peaking at the right time ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a few months’ time.

At yesterday’s Bafana arrival presser in Pretoria ahead of their international friendlies in Durban and Cape Town, Broos reiterated what he’s been saying about Mofokeng in the past few months, starting at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco.

"Rele was, at periods, still looking for himself, but he quickly became a star here in South Africa. Once you reach that level, things become worse and more difficult and the same happened with Rele. There were so much things on his mind that he forgot to play football, and this is totally normal. I dont blame him for that  –  when you're such a young guy and suddenly everyone wants to be around you, i'ts difficult to manage. That's why he didn't have such a good season last year at Pirates," said Broos

"So now this season, little by little, you saw him coming. And now you see Rele showing what evereybody wants to see: a very good player, also playing in a different position. He plays more centrally. I think this is the future for Rele. He is not a winger. He can play on the wings against an opponent who is not so strong but against stronger opponents, he will not play a good game because he's not a winger."

"He doesn't have that explosivity. He doesn't have that on the line  – dribbling players. That is not his quality. His quality is intelligence  – his quality to make good passes and use the spaces.

"That is what Rele is best at. I think now the coach from Pirates will give him that position. And it's not because he scored three times yesterday that we are thinking, 'Ah you see'. No, no. This is something we've known is his best position. And he's coming, that I can tell you, to Bafana Bafana to play that position and not on the wings anymore."