Orlando Pirates coach hails Relebohile Mofokeng’s ‘360-degree’ potential after match-winning brace

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes Relebohile Mofokeng possesses all the attributes of a modern No.10 after the youngster’s brace propelled the Buccaneers to the top of the Betway Premiership on Tuesday night.

Pirates secured a 2-0 victory over AmaZulu at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. The Bafana Bafana international opened the scoring with a 15th-minute header before sealing the win late in the game with a strike that took a fortunate deflection.

This follows Mofokeng’s recent goal-scoring form, having also found the net in the club’s 2-0 home win over Magesi.

During the post-match media conference, Ouaddou was asked if the attacker’s long-term future lies in a central playmaking role rather than on the flanks. 

“When you are a coach of a professional team the first thing that’s necessary to do is to do is analyse the profile and the quality and the competencies of your players, and to analyse the game model to see if these qualities can match with your game model,” Ouaddou said.

“And I have seen quickly he’s somebody that can play that position because of his awareness, because of his capacity to scan, because of his technical quality to turn quickly when he receives the ball.

"The future of football is the scanning and when you are able to take a decision before receiving the ball, this is the future. It is the modern football and we are lucky to have this kind of player in our team.

“So if he can bring you more in that position why can a coach just put him on the side (wing) because on the side is the touchline, so it’s like you shorten his capacities. But now in the middle he has 360 degrees of possibility to play but on the side he has only 180 degrees; there is the touchline.”