I went to Brussels to watch Relebohile Mofokeng and discovered the magic of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
There are some football experiences that you know are going to be special before the match even starts. For me, visiting Royale Union Saint-Gilloise was one of them.
I had travelled to Europe with one thing on my mind: seeing our starboy, Relebohile Mofokeng, in action for his new club, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
But before I even watched him play, I wanted to experience the place he now calls home.
So, on the Wednesday before the Brussels derby, I made my way to the Joseph Marien Stadium to see it for myself.
My first thought?
This stadium is small. But not in a bad way.
There is something incredibly intimate about the stadium. Situated on the edge of Parc Duden in Forest, Brussels, the Joseph Marien Stadium has a capacity of around 9,000 and has been Union’s home since 1920. The stadium itself was inaugurated in 1919, and its historic Art Deco façade has been preserved as architectural heritage.
It doesn’t feel like a modern football stadium where everything is huge and separated from the outside world. It feels like it belongs to the neighbourhood, to the people, to the fans and to the visitors.
The area surrounding the stadium is filled with history, and the stadium almost feels built into that history. Standing there on the Wednesday, I could already imagine what it would look like when thousands of Union supporters filled every available space.
I knew this place was going to be electric.
And then came Sunday.
The match was scheduled for 18:30, which meant getting to Brussels was quite the mission for me. I had to travel from Amsterdam by train, changing along the way, with the journey taking roughly three hours. By the time I was getting closer to Brussels, I was tired.
But then, I started seeing Union supporters everywhere. Scarves. Shirts. Yellow and blue everywhere I looked. Suddenly, may tiredness disappeared and was replaced by adrenaline.
This was the Brussels derby. And I was going to watch Rele Mofokeng play in it.
Before kick-off, I tried to squeeze in as much as possible. I wanted to speak to some Union supporters, get some fan reactions and, of course, find some merchandise.
With thousands of people making their way into such an intimate stadium, it was intense. But it was exactly the kind of football atmosphere I had hoped to experience. There was one thing missing, though.
Our president, Yama 2K, wasn’t in the starting XI. I’ll admit, I was disappointed. I had travelled all this way hoping to see Rele start a Brussels derby, but once the match kicked off, something else became very clear to me.
The level of competition inside this RUSG team is serious. Watching the players live is completely different from watching clips on your phone. You see the movement, the technicality, the quality of decision-making and the speed.
And there were a few players who really stood out to me. Guilherme, wearing number 11, and Raul, number 30, were two of the biggest standouts. Raul Florucz would eventually get himself on the scoresheet, while Guilherme Smith was involved in some of Union’s best attacking moments.
I have watched plenty of football live over the years, but watching this RUSG team from inside the stadium gave me a completely different perspective. There were players on that pitch who I genuinely thought could be among the best players I have ever watched live. And instead of making me more worried about Rele not starting, it actually made me more excited about what this move could mean for him.
Because this is what Rele has signed up for. Competition. Very very strong competition – within his own team.
At 60 minutes, the first substitutions started happening. Still no Rele. Then 70 minutes came. More substitutions. Still no Rele. By this point, Union were already 3–0 up and the stadium was loving every second of it.
Then we reached 80 minutes. Finally, I saw the coach speaking to Rele. This was it. I immediately stood up, pulled out my South African flag and waited. When he eventually came onto the pitch in the 86th minute, I had one thing to say: “GO RELE!”
I had finally watched our starboy play for his new European club. And I was proud. Rele got a little over 10 minutes on the pitch as Union completed a convincing 3–0 victory over Anderlecht, with Besfort Zeneli, Mateo Biondic and Raul Florucz getting the goals.
But what happened the following week made the whole experience even sweeter.
Rele started. And then he got on the scoresheet.
Against STVV, Rele came off the bench in that match and scored Union’s third goal in a 3-0 win, another reminder that his opportunities were coming. For me, that is what this move is all about.
Playing in Europe is different. Not necessarily better or worse – different. The competition for a spot in the team is fierce. The tactical demands are different. The pace is different. The environment is different.
And while you can’t compare a Brussels derby with a Soweto derby, they are two completely different experiences, Rele is now being exposed to a completely new football culture and a new level of competition. And that is exciting.
Because Rele is no longer just the incredibly talented young player we watched light up South African football. He is now a young South African trying to establish himself in a competitive European environment. And watching him walk onto that pitch in Brussels, with my South African flag in the stands, made me realise just how far he has already come.
This is only the beginning.
And if that first taste of European football is anything to go by, I cannot wait to see what comes next for our starboy.
Go Rele. 🇿🇦💛💙
Leave a Reply