‘They made him crazy’ – Broos lifts lid on Pirates star Mofokeng’s struggles 

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has reiterated his stance on what is affecting Orlando Pirates starlet Relebohile Mofokeng.

Mofokeng was the main man for Pirates last season with 12 goals and 15 assists but he has been lukewarm this term with no goal in 12 outings so far.

That has led to questions over what could be affecting the forward, who turned 21 on Thursday, but Broos still maintains that the youngster’s head was turned by the transfer speculation linking him away from the Soweto giants.

“Why is Rele not at the level he was last year? It’s very clear, they made him crazy,” Broos told the media.

What is really affecting Mofokeng?

“You can’t ask a guy at the age of 20, that he can say yes I’m concentrating on football not what those guys are telling me, I’m not listening. At the end, you listen, and this is normal, you can’t blame Mofokeng for that.

“Maybe it’s in my job to go to those guys and say pay attention to this and blah blah blah – but that’s all I can do,” he added, explaining why he will not try to meddle into the futures of players.

Mofokeng was linked with teams in Europe, United States and Saudi Arabia in the off-season but did not make the move and he is believed to have been affected by the failure to secure a transfer abroad after watching the likes of Mohau Nkota seal a big-money deal overseas.

It remains to be seen if he will regain his form although Broos has kept faith in him and he looks set to have him in his team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2026 World Cup.