African Players Abroad
Goals, Good Vibes and a Song From the Fans
⚽ Maseko is Loving Life in Copenhagen
Thapelo Maseko has hit the ground running in Denmark — and in this exclusive interview with FC Copenhagen, the South African winger opens up about his flying start to life at one of Scandinavia's biggest clubs.
Fresh from his World Cup-defining goal against South Korea in Monterrey that sent Bafana Bafana into the knockout round for the first time in history, Maseko arrived in Copenhagen with enormous expectations on his shoulders. He has met every one of them. The goals have come, the confidence is evident, and the positive energy he brings to every training session and every match has won over his teammates and the Parken faithful alike.
In this relaxed, candid sit-down, Maseko talks through his first goals for the club — the feeling, the relief and the joy of delivering for supporters who had already taken him to their hearts. He speaks about his approach to the move: the openness, the curiosity and the determination to embrace everything that Danish football and Copenhagen as a city have to offer.
And then there is the fan song. The FCK faithful have already written one for their new South African star — one of the most meaningful gestures a football crowd can offer a player, and a sign of just how quickly Maseko has become one of their own.
Source: 3nul.com
Images: GETTY, Soccerbeat
The Mofokeng Effect is Real
⚽ The Latest Update on Rele's Stunning Start
Three goals in seven league matches. A winning penalty in a cup final. And a country falling in love with a 20-year-old from South Africa who plays football like he has nothing to fear.
Relebohile Mofokeng's start to life in Belgium has exceeded every expectation — and SoccerBeat's Kurt Buckerfield has once again linked up with Belgian football journalist Tjorven Messiaen for a detailed, on-the-ground assessment of exactly what Mofokeng has done to Union Saint-Gilloise and to Belgian football more broadly.
The numbers are impressive enough on their own. But what Messiaen unpacks goes well beyond statistics. Where Union SG head coach David Hubert sees Mofokeng fitting best in his system — and what that means for his chances of starting more regularly — is one of the most interesting tactical conversations South African football supporters could have right now. Mofokeng is not just performing; he is making coaches and analysts rethink how they use him.
Then there is the question of what Belgian football fans make of him. The answer, according to Messiaen, is clear: they love him. The "Mofokeng Effect" — a term that captures the buzz and excitement his performances generate every time he touches the ball — is genuine, it is growing, and it extends well beyond the Union SG fanbase.
For Bafana Bafana and for Pitso Mosimane, who takes charge of his first competitive matches this month, Mofokeng's form in Belgium is a gift. A 20-year-old winger playing with this level of confidence, impact and personality on European football's stage is exactly what the new era of South African football needs as its standard-bearer.
Source: 3nul.com
Images: GETTY, Soccerbeat
Mofokeng Shines
⚽ Union Saint-Gilloise Cruise to Dominant Away Win
South Africa's Relebohile Mofokeng was at it again. The Orlando Pirates winger, on loan in Belgium, contributed to another impressive Union Saint-Gilloise performance as La Royale Union Saint-Gilloise secured a commanding 3-0 away victory against STVV at the Daio Wasabi Stayen Stadium on Matchday 3 of the Jupiler Pro League season.
Louis Patris opened the scoring before Kevin Mac Allister — younger brother of Liverpool's Alexis — added the second to put Union firmly in control. Mofokeng then completed the rout, adding his name to the scoresheet and continuing a breakout European season that is turning heads well beyond Belgium's borders.
The result keeps Union Saint-Gilloise among the early pace-setters in the Jupiler Pro League and underlines the quality that Sébastien Pocognoli's side possess across the pitch. For South African football supporters, however, the focus will be squarely on Mofokeng — a 20-year-old who keeps delivering in European competition with a maturity and confidence that belies his age.
Having scored the winning penalty in the Belgian Super Cup and now adding a league goal to his tally, Relebohile Mofokeng is making Belgium sit up and take notice. Bafana Bafana's new head coach Pitso Mosimane will be watching very closely.
Source: 3nul.com
Images: GETTY, Union Saint Gilloise
