The Bafana Bafana playmaker netted his third goal in his second start in the Belgian Pro League as Les Unionistes went to the top of the table.
South African playmaker’s fast start powers Union’s rise to the summit
The 21-year-old Bafana Bafana playmaker continued his impressive adaptation to life in the Belgian Pro League, scoring his third goal of the campaign in just his second league start as Union Saint‑Gilloise moved to the top of the table.
Having been eased into the Belgian top-flight with five appearances so far, the midfielder has already built a reputation for making an impact in limited minutes. He scored on his league debut after coming off the bench in a 5-1 win over Westerlo, and he found the net again earlier this month in a 3-0 victory against St Truiden.
Early goal underlines attacking threat
Given another chance from the start, Mofokeng repaid that faith almost immediately, putting his side 2-0 up after just seven minutes. The early strike reinforced his status as one of Union’s most direct attacking threats between the lines, offering penetration from midfield and accelerating their dominance on the scoreboard.
He finished the match with 64 minutes on the pitch, a meaningful workload at this stage of his adaptation to European football and a clear sign that the coaching staff trust him to contribute beyond brief late cameos.
Impact on Union’s title push and league picture
The result leaves Union at the summit of the Belgian Pro League standings with 16 points from six matches. That return sets an early benchmark in a competition where the regular season table shapes the play-off picture and determines access to continental qualification pathways under the
Belgian Pro League’s competition framework.
Union’s lead is currently a single point over Gent, who still have their sixth‑round fixture to play against Genk on Sunday afternoon. That slim margin underscores how costly dropped points can be in the early phase of the campaign, particularly for clubs balancing domestic ambitions with European commitments.
- Union Saint‑Gilloise: 16 points from 6 matches
- Gent: 1 point behind with a game in hand against Genk
Audition for European competition
Beyond the immediate league implications, this latest goal arrives at a crucial moment for the 21‑year‑old’s individual trajectory. Having now scored in three separate league fixtures, he has assembled a compelling case for a first appearance in European competition when Union face Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The scheduling of domestic and European fixtures places strategic pressure on squad rotation, and performances like this one increase the likelihood that he will feature more prominently as Union manage workloads across competitions. For a young South African international, minutes in continental club football would represent a significant step in career development and in maintaining visibility for national‑team selection.
South African pathway into European structures
The midfielder’s emergence comes at a time when more South African players are using mid‑tier European leagues as stepping stones within the wider UEFA club ecosystem. Strong early returns in the Belgian Pro League, a competition integrated into UEFA’s access list for the Europa League and other tournaments under the
UEFA Europa League regulations,
can accelerate opportunities for exposure against clubs from higher‑ranked associations.
For Bafana Bafana, the form of a young playmaker in a tactically demanding European environment broadens the national pool at a time when continental and World Cup qualification campaigns require depth in creative midfield positions.
Key match facts
- Competition: Belgian Pro League
- Club: Union Saint‑Gilloise (Les Unionistes)
- Player: 21‑year‑old Bafana Bafana playmaker Mofokeng
- League appearances: 5
- League starts: 2
- Goals this season: 3
- Latest performance: Scored to make it 2-0 after seven minutes; played 64 minutes
- League position: Union top of the table with 16 points from 6 matches
- Closest challengers: Gent, one point behind with a game in hand against Genk
- Next major fixture: Europa League meeting with Viktoria Plzen, where the player is targeting a European debut
As the Belgian season moves deeper into its first phase, the combination of decisive early goals, expanding minutes and a central role in a league‑leading side positions Mofokeng as one of the most closely watched South African exports in European club football.