Pirates confirm Mofokeng’s move to Belgium

Both clubs have also revealed the agreement was concluded before the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, with a joint decision made to withhold any announcement until after the tournament so Mofokeng could focus entirely on Bafana Bafana’s historic run.

Mofokeng departs with a record that speaks for itself. In 125 appearances for the Buccaneers since his debut in 2022-23, he scored 29 goals and provided 31 assists.

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His 2025-26 campaign was his strongest individually, with 10 goals and eight assists in 27 Betway Premiership matches as Pirates completed the domestic treble, winning the league title for the first time in 14 years alongside the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup.

USG are one of Belgium’s oldest clubs. Founded in 1897, they hold 12 Belgian league titles. After spending 48 years outside the top flight, they returned to the Belgian Pro League in 2021 following investment from Brighton owner Tony Bloom.

Bloom later stepped back from majority ownership to comply with UEFA multi-club ownership regulations. The club won their first championship in 90 years in 2025.

Their sporting director is Chris O’Loughlin, an Irish-born coach who grew up in South Africa and began his coaching career as an assistant at Orlando Pirates before building a career across four continents.

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Mofokeng is not the first South African to play for Union. Percy Tau joined on loan in the 2018-19 season and was named Player of the Season in Division 1B, a campaign that laid the groundwork for his permanent move to Brighton. Union themselves went on to win promotion to the top flight in 2021.

Mofokeng flew directly from Los Angeles to Belgium following South Africa’s World Cup exit rather than returning home with the Bafana Bafana squad. Reports suggest the fee could be in the region of €4 million (R75 million), though neither club has officially confirmed the figure.

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