Pirates Acknowledge Mofokeng's Commitment to Khoza

Orlando Pirates shared a heartfelt farewell message to Relebohile Mofokeng following his confirmed transfer to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium. Mofokeng, 21, had already joined the Jupiler Pro League club in a deal finalized before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he contributed to Bafana Bafana’s historic performance. On Thursday, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise officially unveiled Mofokeng via a series of engaging social media posts.

The Pirates had announced the transfer the previous Wednesday and subsequently expressed their gratitude to ‘President Yama 2k’. In their message, the club revealed that Mofokeng could have left Mayfair prior to last season but chose to stay after promising chairman Irvin Khoza to help the team win the Betway Premiership, which they ultimately achieved.

"And then there is the thing we must not forget. The thing that reveals, more than any goal or assist, exactly who this young man is and today Orlandopiratesfc.com can reveal the secret. "Relebohile could have left last year. The interest was there. The door was open. But what did he do? He chose to stay—not for money, not for comfort, but because he wanted to win the league for this club and for its supporters.

In Mofokeng’s own words: "Chairman, I am not worried about overseas now. I want to give it my all this season and try to win this league for the club. This is my only focus right now. If overseas happens after that, then good but for now, let me do all I can to make the supporters happy."

This promise was fulfilled, as Mofokeng appeared emotional following the Buccaneers’ final game of the 2025/26 season, which unbeknownst to many, was his last match for the Sea Robbers. Mofokeng is now transitioning to his career in Europe, joining a club that features former Pirates assistant Chris O’Loughlin as Sporting Director and Shawn Bishop, former Mamelodi Sundowns Head of Academy, as the Head of Methodology.

O’Loughlin famously provided Benni McCarthy with an early coaching opportunity as his assistant at Sint-Truidense, while the club also attracted Percy Tau on loan in the 2018/19 season, during which the South African helped them achieve promotion to the top flight. Mofokeng appears to be in good hands, with the added prospect of competing in the UEFA Champions League, as St. Gilloise prepares to enter the competition in the final qualification round before the league phase.