Why Rele’s Belgium move is bad for Orlando Pirates & the player

Relebohile Mofokeng makes his much-anticipated move abroad

It’s always felt like a matter of time. Relebohile Mofokeng is expected to seal a move to Belgian side Union-Saint Gilloise in the coming days, and his exit from the club has been in the works for a while. Now feels like a decent time for the club to sanction a sale, given the 21-year-old’s eye-catching display against South Korea in the World Cup. Pirates could recoup €4 million (R75 million) for their prized Bafana star. Mofokeng will link up with Canada striker Promise David, the 1.95m tall star in Canada’s World Cup squad, and was a 70th-minute substitute in the Canucks’ 1-0 win over Bafana. Mofokeng scored 10 goals and laid on eight assists in the league last term, spearheading Pirates’ charge to the title.

Is Mofokeng’s move to Belgium the right one for Orlando Pirates?

It’s believed that Orlando Pirates recouped around R75 million for their prized asset Rele Mofokeng. It’s difficult to say with certainty if now is the right time to sell, although the 21-year-old did sparkle at the right time while the world watched. Could Pirates have attracted a wealthier suitor, though, and fetched a bigger fee? Money in the bank is all good and well, but players like Mofokeng don’t grow on trees.

From the player’s perspective, will Mofokeng have enough visibility in a league which is far inferior to those in England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and even Portugal? Would he have maybe benefited more from a more physically robust division? These are all hypotheticals for now, and fans across South Africa will be keeping an eye on Union-Saint Gilloise.

Perhaps Belgium is a stepping stone to greater things. That’s the hope, because this guy is a serious footballer. For now, he’ll be playing Champions League football, and that’s a wonderful thing, but his ceiling is a lot higher than the Belgian Pro League.

Ex-Orlando Pirates man Mbokazi could be going to Italy

Meanwhile, South African fans will be intrigued to know that Bafana star Mbekezeli Mbokazi is rumoured to be on Napoli’s wish list. The country is besotted with this gifted 20-year-old, understandably so.

Messi lights up the World Cup, of course he does

After another dramatic evening in the World Cup, the quarter-final lineup is complete. Defending champions Argentina survived an almighty scare, coming from 2-0 down with 11 minutes on the clock, to eventually beat Egypt in a thriller. The great Lionel Messi was at the forefront, as he usually is, missing a penalty on 21 minutes but atoning spectacularly with an assist for Cristian Romero’s 79th-minute goal and then a goal of his own on 83 minutes. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez completed the stunning comeback in stoppage time. Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes to set up a quarter-final with Messi’s merry men.

• Thu 9 July: France vs Morocco, 22:00 kickoff
• Fri 10 July: Spain vs Belgium, 21:00 kickoff
• Sat 11 July, Norway vs England, 23:00 kickoff
• Sun 12 July, Argentina vs Switzerland, 03:00 kickoff