Boys to men: Broos applauds Adams & Mofokeng as Bafana prepare for Panama friendlies

Hugo Broos has confirmed that Relebohile Mofokeng will now be used as a playmaker for Bafana Bafana as he insists that the Orlando Pirates star is not a winger.

South Africa is gearing up for a return to action in back-to-back friendlies against Panama, which will be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and then Cape Town Stadium over the next week.

Nicknamed President Yama 2000, Mofokeng has been on the fringes of the national team despite his excellent club form and failed to make a mark as Bafana were bundled out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the last 16 stage in January.

He will now hope to make the number 10 jersey his own during the March international break and, more importantly, at the FIFA World Cup later this year.

“He’s on the right time in good shape, not only for him, but Rele was in a period looking for himself,” Broos said about the 21-year-old’s career. “He quickly became a star here in South Africa and once you reach that level, things become difficult. He didn’t have a good season last season with Pirates. This season, little by little, you see him coming and now you see Rele again, the one everyone wants to see, a very good player and in a different position.”

Broos believes the decision by Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouddaou to shift Mofokeng’s position has given him the freedom to truly shine.

“He’s playing more central and this is the future for Rele, he’s not a winger,” Broos said about the positional switch. “He doesn’t have that explosivity or on the line dribbling as a player. That’s not his qualities. His qualities are his intelligence, giving good passes, using the spaces, that’s where Rele is the best.

And it’s not that he scored three times yesterday [in Sunday’s Betway Premiership 6-0 win over TS Galaxy] that we saying, ‘ah you see’, no, no this is something we know as his best position. He’s coming, that I can tell you, to Bafana to play that position and not on the wings anymore.”

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Another younger player Broos has highlighted is Jayden Adams, who is back in the national team setup for the first time in a year.

He had lost his place in the Bafana squad amid allegations of ill-discipline, while his form at Mamelodi Sundowns was inconsistent following his move from Stellenbosch.

But since the return of domestic football in January, Adams has been a solid performer in a midfield partnership with the ever-impressive Teboho Mokoena.

“I think Jayden is the same story as [Relebohile Mofokeng] and [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi. When you’re so young and suddenly you become a very good player, a star, and there is so much interest in you, it’s difficult to manage that,” Broos said about the midfielder’s switch to Sundowns.

“And in a certain moment, Jayden lost himself also; the moment he went to Sundowns, I think he thought, 'Ah, things are done,' and as time went on, he was not playing; he was on the bench, and he was even in the stands at certain moments. He did what he did with the national team, when I was not happy with that, but he’s learnt a lot, and he knows now. When you see him playing, he’s more mature, and the qualities are still there. And this maturity is something he got in the last year.

He was conscious for himself; he looked in the mirror and said, ‘Jayden, if you go on like this, your career is finished; you will go to Marumo Gallants or whatever’ because here in Sundowns, he will not succeed, and I’m very happy about it. Everyone knows he’s a very good player, and yeah, I think he can help us a lot”.

As for the games against Panama, Broos believes they are a great choice of opponent as South Africa starts to ramp up their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Broos’ chargers will kick off their campaign against co-host Mexico on 11 June at Estadio Azteca.

“It was the right decision to choose Panama to play two international games here in South Africa,” the Belgian manager said about the clash.

“We will learn a lot about the middle American style of playing football. The result is not that important, but I do not want to have two defeats or big defeats. We have to learn about those kinds of countries. But on the one hand, I also want to see the Bafana Bafana I saw in the last three years. This was something we lost during the recent Africa Cup of Nations, and we have to restore it, and that is why there are a few changes in our selections.”