Mofokeng sets sights on Tau’s Belgian goalscoring record after dream debut

Relebohile Mofokeng has made an immediate impact in the Belgian Pro League, but the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise forward now faces comparison with Percy Tau after scoring on his top-flight debut.

The 21-year-old came off the bench to score Union’s third goal in a 5-1 victory over Westerlo in the opening match of the league season. It was the latest highlight in an impressive start to life in Belgium for the former Orlando Pirates attacker.

Mofokeng had already played a decisive role in Union’s Belgian Super Cup success, converting an audacious winning penalty against rivals Club Brugge as his side lifted the trophy for the first time.

His next challenge will be to match the early impact made by Tau, who scored in each of his first two Belgian top-flight appearances during the 2018/19 season.

Tau, then on loan at Club Brugge, opened his account in a 6-0 victory over Sint-Truiden before scoring again in a 2-0 win against KV Oostende. He also found the net on his debut after joining Anderlecht on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, scoring in a 3-1 victory over Sint-Truiden.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly forward’s two seasons in the Belgian Pro League provide a benchmark for Mofokeng. Across two loan spells with two different clubs, Tau scored seven goals and supplied five assists in 32 matches.

Mofokeng will hope to establish himself more quickly than some of the other South African attackers who have played in Belgium in recent seasons.

Shandre Campbell scored on his second appearance for Club Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League during the 2024/25 season. He struck the only goal in a victory over Zulte Waregem, having made a brief debut in which he played for the final five minutes.

Campbell featured for only seven minutes towards the end of the match in which he scored his first goal, and that strike ultimately proved to be his only one for the club. He has played in just 12 top-flight league matches across three seasons.

That total includes his debut for new club Kortrijk during the current campaign. Kortrijk was also the club where Cassius Mailula played three matches without scoring during the 2025/26 season, when the team competed in the second division.

Mofokeng’s immediate goal will be to build on his substitute appearance against Westerlo and earn a regular place in the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attack. If he can continue producing decisive moments, his opening-weekend goal could be the start of a Belgian campaign comparable to Tau’s early influence.