Maluleke tips Pirates’ Mofokeng for Footballer of the Season

Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Manning Rangers striker Ishmael Maluleke has thrown his support behind Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng as his pick for the 2024/25 PSL Footballer of the Season.

Ribeiro is the favourite

While Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro has emerged as the favourite, Maluleke believes Mofokeng’s impact throughout the campaign puts him in with a shout for the coveted award. 

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Ribeiro finished the season as the league’s top goalscorer with 16 goals in 26 appearances and chipped in with nine assists as the Brazilians clinched a record-extending eighth consecutive title.

Despite Sundowns falling short in the Carling Knockout final, Ribeiro still made his mark, scoring once and providing three assists on the road to the decider.

Maluleke, however, is convinced that Mofokeng deserves the top individual honour. The 20-year-old sensation established himself as a key figure in the Buccaneers’ attack with a 13-goal contribution in the league, scoring five goals and eight assists.

Mofokeng also played a crucial role in Pirates’ MTN8 Cup triumph, scoring twice, including a goal in the final against Stellenbosch FC. He added two more assists in the tournament and impressed in the Nedbank Cup despite Pirates’ defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in the final.

The Footballer of the Season award is both nominated and voted for by the 16 Betway Premiership head coaches. Each coach is allowed one vote, though they cannot select a player from their own club. 

“I think for me, it has to be Relebohile Mofokeng. He has been scoring goals and assists in South African football,” Maluleke said on Radio 2000. 

“Again, he played well in the CAF Champions League and did well. So I think for me, I would go for him because he did well for Pirates but he also did well for Bafana Bafana.”

Maluleke, who claimed the PSL Top Goalscorer award in the 2001/02 season with 18 goals for Manning Rangers, believes Mofokeng is ready for the European stage.

“This is the time for him to leave, if there was a better time for him to leave, this is it. He can leave now and work on whatever qualities he needs to improve on,” Maluleke said.

Pirate’s Mofokeng ‘can do well’ at Barcelona

“If he can find a better team like the rumours we’ve heard like Barcelona and all those kinds of things, he can do well because of the kind of calibre of a player that he is. The most important thing that will make sure that a striker will score goals is the conditioning of a player. 

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“I think if he can focus on conditioning his body as well to make sure that it becomes one of the qualities that can make him withstand all the pressure. To become an overall player as well, he must not rely on being passed the ball but he must become an overall player who can also defend when the team needs him.”