Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has discussed whether talented 19-year-old winger Relebohile Mofokeng should receive a call-up to Bafana Bafana's upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations squad.
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The teenager has been impressive for the Buccaneers this season so far, with some fans in South Africa believing national team boss Hugo Broos should turn to the youngster when picking his AFCON squad.
Mofokeng, who recently went on trial at Wolverhampton Wanderers in England, has caught the eye with his performances and link-up play in Pirates' attacking line and could potentially offer Bafana a different dynamic going forward in Ivory Coast.
Speaking on the weekend, Riveiro believes there is no questioning the talent Mofokeng has, but did appear to suggest the winger still needs to improve in many aspects of his game.
"In the individual case of Relebohile (Mofokeng), the only doubt people can have about him is his age and experience," he told reporters following Pirates' 1-0 win over TS Galaxy in the DStv Premiership.
"If he gets the chance, it will be an opportunity for him to show if he has the capacity and as his coaches we feel he, like I said several times is a talented player. He understands football very well and he needs to improve. He is a very young player and still needs to understand some other things that are related with the game.
"Sometimes talent is not enough to cover everything that this game requires but he is a hard-working young man. I am sure that whenever he is going to get his chance, whether it is this year or it is next year, he is never going to disappoint anyone because he is a good football player."
Unlike other African nations, South Africa does not have a reputation for selecting players under the age of 20 consistently at major tournaments, though Rivaldo Coetzee did represent Bafana at the AFCON in 2015 at 18 years of age.
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At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Manchester United teenager Hannibal Mejbri regularly featured for Tunisia, while Ghana named Abdul Fatawu Issahaku in their tournament squad. The winger was only 18 at the time. Both abovementioned players also played at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
If Hugo Broos does take Mofokeng to Ivory Coast, it would not only boost his experience, even if it means to learn from senior players on the big stage at AFCON, it would also improve his chances of gaining a move to Europe.
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