‘Talent alone won’t make you succeed in Belgium’, Mokoena warns Mofokeng

Former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena has warned Relebohile Mofokeng that talent won’t be enough for him to succeed in Belgium.

Mofokeng recently joined Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise from Orlando Pirates on a four-year deal.

Mokoena, who also played for Gent in Belgium in a career which saw him ply his trade in Europe for more than a decade, believes Mofokeng’s biggest challenge will be to adapt to the expectations that come with being a foreign player.

“The first thing he must understand is that he’s a foreigner,” Mokoena told iDiski Times.

“He’s going to have to be 10 times better than the local players. They accept foreign players who are exceptional. They accept foreign players who work hard.

“They accept foreign players who deliver. Average simply won’t do. It’s not enough just to be talented. You’ve got to show them every single week.”

“He just needs to be himself,” added Mokoena before offering some sound advice to the former Pirates star.

“The talent he has, now is the time to let it out. He mustn’t hide. If he plays well, he’ll win the supporters. And once you’ve won the supporters, you settle much quicker. When you’re playing every week, and the supporters accept you, settling becomes much easier. If you aren’t playing, then every day feels longer.

“There are a lot of African people in Belgium. He won’t struggle to find people he relates to. When you’re a foreigner, you naturally connect with other foreign players. That helps you settle much quicker.”

Mofokeng recorded an assist for Union Saint-Gilloise during his unofficial debut in a 3-3 pre-season draw against PSV Eindhoven last Saturday.

The 21-year-old came off the bench for the final 30 minutes, sparking a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to help his team avoid a defeat.