Johannesburg – Relebohile Mofokeng, the electrifying 20-year-old Orlando Pirates midfielder, has become the subject of intense transfer speculation, with reports linking him to a potential move to Spanish giants Barcelona. The youngster's string of impressive performances, capped by a match-winning brace against reigning league champions Mamelodi Sundowns, has catapulted him into the spotlight and fuelled rumours of a move to Europe.
Mofokeng's heroics in Pirates’ 2-1 victory over Sundowns on Sunday showcased his talent and potential. His first goal came after a sublime lay-off by striker Evidence Makgopa, while his second was a perfectly placed shot that beat Ronwen Williams in the Sundowns goal. Both goals, scored within the first five minutes of the match, helped Pirates secure a famous win and reignite the Premier Soccer League title race.
Should Mofokeng make the move to the Camp Nou, he would become only the second South African to be on the books of the famed Catalan club. The first was the late Steve “Kalamazoo” Mokone, who signed for Barcelona back in 1959.
However, Mokone's time at Barcelona was ultimately unfulfilled. Due to the club having already filled their quota of foreign players, Mokone never played an official game for the Spanish giants and was subsequently loaned out to Marseille in France.
Because Mokone never played senior football locally, he remains largely unknown to many South African supporters.
Born in Doornfontein in 1932, Mokone made a name for himself for Pretoria Home Stars and Durban Bush Bucks before making a move to England, where he signed for Coventry in 1955, becoming the first black South African to play professionally in the country.
But, it was in the colours of Dutch club Heracles that Mokone played his best football. In 1958, he attained legendary status at the club after helping them to the Twede Divisie title. It was his form in the Netherlands that saw him earn a move to Spain.
After bouncing around Europe for a number of years, he finished off his career as player-coach, first in Canada with a club called Hamilton Steelers, and later Down Under for Sunshine George Cross in 1964.
After hanging up his boots, he moved to the United States, where he would live out the remainder of his years. It was in the US where he went from hero to zero as his life spiralled out of control.
In 1977, he was convicted following a vicious assault on his then wife Joyce Maaga Mokone, and her attorney Ann Boylan Rogers during divorce proceedings. He was also accused of physically assaulting his children.
When he died exactly ten years ago, Mokone was celebrated as a trailblazer, a “national asset” and “hidden hero”. However, following his death, his daughter, Thandi, writing in the New York Times, detailed the abuse she experienced when growing up, changing the narrative about the football icon's legacy.
“Since my father’s death March 19 in Washington, DC, and for the first time in my life, I no longer feel silenced by my fear of him,” Thandi Mokone-Chase wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2015.
“I’ve been asked about my desire to ‘come out’ of my silence and ‘why now?’ I am speaking out. His passing has set me free to tell the truth; I can finally own my anger without fear of reprisal.
"There is very little now that can penetrate the emotional scars I suffered by my father’s torment, which included: being physically abused and sexualised; choking my dog in front of me; and hiring an attacker who knocked out my brother’s front teeth with the butt of a gun because he became a witness for the prosecution, giving sworn testimony that eventually incriminated our father.
“Like many professional athletes in the news today, my father was celebrated for his athletic achievement. There was a national commemoration of his life in South Africa’s FNB Stadium, where the 2010 World Cup final was held, after he died. He was lauded as ‘a national asset’ and ‘a hidden hero’."
On the 10th anniversary of Mokone’s death, his story remains a complex legacy of triumph and turmoil. His pioneering football career opened doors for South African players in Europe, yet the harrowing accounts from his family cast a dark shadow over his name.
While Mokone will always be remembered as a trailblazer, his life serves as a sobering reminder that sporting greatness does not absolve personal failings.
As Mofokeng’s star continues to rise, his journey presents an opportunity to forge a legacy built not only on talent, but also on integrity. Mofokeng has the chance to become a role model both on and off the pitch, demonstrating that success and character can go hand in hand.
