Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo believes Orlando Pirates' rising star, Relebohile Mofokeng, is prepared to make the leap to European football.
Since making his Orlando Pirates first-team debut in 2022, the 20-year-old has quickly established himself as a key figure in Jose Riveiro's tactical setup.
His burgeoning talent was further recognized in June when he made his Bafana Bafana debut under Hugo Broos, playing in the 3-1 victory against Zimbabwe at Free State Stadium in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Mofokeng’s consistently impressive displays have not gone unnoticed, drawing attention from several clubs abroad. Among those linked with the player are FC Barcelona B, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Rangers FC.
With Spanish giants Barcelona being the most recent club to register their interest, Khumalo strongly advocates for Mofokeng to seize the opportunity and join the La Liga side.
He asserts that Mofokeng has unequivocally proven his readiness for this significant career step.
KHUMALO SAYS MOFOKENG IS READY FOR OVERSEAS MOVE
“As a nation, when are we going to pride ourselves with having released youngsters to go overseas and learn? Let’s allow Rele to go.
“Let’s not have fear. If Barca could take a young and even sickly Messi out of Argentina and groom him into the world superstar he became, why do we not trust them to do the same with Rele?
“On paper, we know Barcelona is a big team, but I don’t think those guys are going to throw him into the deep end. My reading of it is that they’ve spotted his potential, and they want him now so they can get him ready for the senior team in two years’ time.
“So, he will be with the B team to learn and understand the culture and the norms of Barcelona. That’s what they did for Messi, because he was just a player who had that disease, and they helped him medically and sportingly.
“All their top players at Barca, your Iniesta, Xavi and Puyol, come from the development. And I can tell you from experience that Rele will benefit from it.
“I went to Argentina, which was already established, but when I got there, they had me work with a physical trainer for three weeks, a three hour session daily to get me fitter.
“I remember when I came back home I’d bulked up and my parents did not recognise me. I think the Barcelona guys are not stupid, they are going to make sure that this boy is exactly what Yamal is – he is not a big boy, but physically, he is able to take opponents on, and Rele will be able to do that.
“We must let the players go if the opportunity comes because they are very rare. How can you say no to Barcelona?”
