Orlando Pirates might see two superstar names leaving their club this week. Here’s the latest on Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng.
Orlando Pirates sell Mofokeng
Relebohile Mofokeng will seal a move to Belgian side Union-Saint Gilloise in the coming days, and his exit from the club has been in the works for a while. The club officially confirmed the news on Wednesday. Now feels like a decent time for the club to sanction a sale, given the 21-year-old’s eye-catching display against South Korea in the World Cup. Pirates could recoup €4 million (R75 million) for their prized Bafana star. Mofokeng will link up with Canada striker Promise David, the 1.95m tall star in their World Cup squad, and was a 70th-minute substitute in the Canucks’ 1-0 win over Bafana. Mofokeng scored 10 goals and laid on eight assists in the league last term, spearheading Pirates’ charge to the title. Whispers online suggest he’ll earn R1.7 million a month.
Is Appollis next?
Oswin Appollis, meanwhile, is the subject of a €3 million (R56 million) offer from Portuguese giants Porto, which might be too good to turn down. However, if Pirates lose both marquee names in the same window, they’ll need to reinvest the considerable fees they get. If they don’t, the squad will be considerably weakened. Appollis’ output of nine goals and six assists from 30 league outings was a significant contribution.
World Cup watch
The World Cup Round of 32 has already delivered thrills, spills and shocks galore. Although things went according to the script when Brazil beat Japan in stoppage time, the same can’t be said in other encounters. Germany fell to Paraguay on penalties, and Morocco also needed spot-kicks to down another European opponent, the Netherlands. Their reward is a meeting with Canada in the Round of 16.
A Harry Kane-inspired England eventually got the better of a spirited DR Congo side 2-1, setting up a round of 16 meeting with Mexico. There was late drama when Belgium came from 2-0 down to force extra time against Senegal. Just when it looked as though we were destined for another shootout, the Belgians won a penalty which Youri Tielemans coolly slotted after 120 minutes had elapsed. Heartbreak for the Lions of Teranga.
- Belgium vs Senegal: Wed 1 Jul, 22:00
- USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina: Thu 2 Jul, 02:00
- Spain vs Austria: Thu 2 Jul, 21:00
- Portugal vs Croatia: Fri 3 Jul, 01:00
- Switzerland vs Algeria: Fri 3 Jul, 05:00
- Australia vs Egypt: Fri 3 Jul, 20:00
- Argentina vs Cabo Verde: Sat 4 Jul, 00:00
- Colombia vs Ghana: Sat 4 Jul, 03:30
