Mofokeng credits relentless training for flying start at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

Relebohile Mofokeng says making himself work harder every day has helped him make an immediate impact in European football.

The 21-year-old scored on his European debut as Royale Union Saint-Gilloise began their UEFA Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win away to Viktoria Plzen on Thursday night.

Mofokeng has now contributed four goals in eight matches across all competitions since joining the Belgian club. He also scored the winning penalty in the 2026 Belgian Super Cup.

His swift adaptation has exceeded expectations. Mofokeng arrived in Belgium only a few weeks before the start of the season, having impressed during the World Cup with Bafana Bafana and produced an outstanding campaign with Orlando Pirates.

With limited time to settle into a new country and club, the forward was expected to improve gradually as the season developed. Instead, he has made an immediate impression and added a European goal to his growing list of early achievements.

Speaking during his post-match television duties, Mofokeng acknowledged the demands of adjusting to football in Europe but said his response had been to take responsibility for his own preparation.

“No, it’s not easy. It’s very difficult, but yeah, we keep on going,” he said. “Every day I push myself in training. I am the one who’s going to make it easier by working hard and pushing myself.”

His finish against Viktoria Plzen reflected the instincts of a natural attacker. He read the long pass from deep, moved between the defenders and controlled the situation before finding enough room to send the ball into the roof of the net.

Mofokeng said the opportunity had been identified before the match, with Viktoria Plzen’s high defensive line leaving space to exploit.

“We knew from the start that if they play a high line, there are spaces behind them,” he said. “I think I knew that there was space behind them, so it was a matter of the pass. It was a great pass from my teammate. So, we used the spaces very well. That’s why we scored the three goals.”

Bafana Bafana duty

Mofokeng’s form comes at an important stage for Bafana Bafana, who are preparing for two 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

They face Guinea on Saturday 26 September and Eritrea on Wednesday 30 September, before meeting Egypt in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium on 4 October.