South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos has admitted it was risky to hand Relebohile Mofokeng his full debut against Lesotho, and suggested he wouldn’t have picked the youngster against a team like Nigeria.
Mofokeng, a rising star for Orlando Pirates, was in the starting lineup on Friday evening as Bafana Bafana secured a 2-0 victory over Lesotho in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
It was the 20-year-old’s first time starting for South Africa after making five previous appearances off the bench.
When South Africa faced Nigeria in Uyo back in June, Mofokeng was an unused substitute as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
However, against Lesotho, he delivered an impressive performance, causing constant problems for the opposition and capping it off with a goal in the 60th minute.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Broos admitted that integrating young players into the squad must be done strategically.
“I think this game was the right moment for Rele, he played a very good game and this is what we need. When you put a young guy in the team, as a coach, you always have to consider whether they can succeed,” Broos explained.
“If he doesn’t, can you imagine if he had a bad game? Then everyone would say, ‘Yeah, yeah, maybe it’s too soon, maybe he’s not that good, blah, blah, blah.’ So you have to help the player with that… but this was also the right opponent for such a move.”
The AFCON winning coach emphasized that high-stakes matches against teams like Nigeria are not the ideal time to test young players for the first time.
“You can’t do that against Nigeria, or maybe not for the first time in Benin, because those are completely different games,” he added.
Broos’ comments highlight the importance of squad management and careful player development, especially in high-pressure qualifiers.
South Africa, currently leading Group C with 10 points from five matches, has positioned itself well in the race for a World Cup spot.
Nigeria, meanwhile, is still trying to get its campaign back on track. The Super Eagles have struggled for consistency, and their last meeting with South Africa in Uyo ended in frustration.
Broos’ men took the lead in that game, forcing Nigeria to come from behind to salvage a point.
Looking ahead, the second leg of the Nigeria-South Africa clash in September could be crucial for both teams.
The Super Eagles will be eager to make a statement, while Bafana Bafana will aim to maintain their advantage in the group standings.