Pitso Comments on Rele’s Move to Belgium

South African veteran coach Pitso Mosimane shared his thoughts on Bafana Bafana attacker Relebohile Mofokeng's move to Belgium. Mofokeng recently signed with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, a club that finished second in the Belgian Pro League last season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.

The 21-year-old departed from Orlando Pirates after spending three seasons with the Buccaneers, where he became a key player under coaches Jose Riveiro and Abdeslam Ouaddou. Mofokeng's transition to Union Saint-Gilloise followed a successful campaign in South Africa, and Mosimane expressed that the Belgian club serves as an ideal platform for him to launch his European career.

Mosimane referenced Percy Tau as an example, stating that Belgium has been a launch pad for many players seeking to elevate their careers. He highlighted notable Belgian stars like Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, and Kevin De Bruyne, who developed their skills in the Belgian league before ascending to international prominence.

"Countries like Belgium where Rele has gone, that’s where Percy [Tau] came," said Pitso during an interview on Smash Sports’ 'Changing The Game with Pitso Mosimane'. "Percy played there, started there. Belgium has launched a lot of players and gave them opportunities to go to big leagues.

"Even themselves, the Lukakus, Kevin De Bruyne, [Youri] Tielemans. You have to play in Belgium to do that; Belgium is also friendly to our Africans, the rules are much better. It’s not like in England where you need to have 70% caps for the last two years or a year. I don’t know how that criterion is right now. So, it’s not easy to get to those players.

"Countries like Cyprus, Pafos play Champions League. I think Omonia just won the league there. Pafos reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season. That’s where [Thapelo] Maseko, who scored against South Korea, is playing in Cyprus. Probably, an easier route for us South Africans to go to Europe is through those countries. We need more players in Europe."