Relebohile Mofokeng: Bafana Bafana Star Suffers UEFA Champions League Setback

• Relebohile Mofokeng's new club, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, crashed out of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday
• The South African winger came off the bench in extra time but could not prevent his side from losing 6-5 on aggregate to FK Bodo/Glimt
• The former Orlando Pirates star had impressed before the loss, scoring in both the Belgium Super Cup and his Jupiler Pro League debut

Relebohile Mofokeng's UEFA Champions League dreams have been cut short after Royale Union Saint-Gilloise were eliminated from the competition's third qualifying round on Tuesday, losing 6-5 on aggregate to Norwegian champions FK Bodo/Glimt.

The match in Norway ended 3-2 after extra-time, with Glimt snatching the decisive goal in the 117th minute to end Saint-Gilloise's hopes of reaching the UCL league phase. USG had kept themselves alive by equalising to make it 2-2 in the 88th minute and forcing extra-time, but the tie turned against them when Kamiel Van de Perre was sent off during injury time, leaving the Belgian side to defend with 10 men.

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Mofokeng entered the contest at the start of extra-time, marking his debut in European competition, but was unable to influence the outcome in the limited time available.

USG drop to Europa League

As a result of the defeat, Saint-Gilloise will compete in the UEFA Europa League group stage for the 2026/27 season rather than the Champions League.

The setback comes after a particularly bright opening to Mofokeng's time at the club. The South African winger scored the winning penalty as Saint-Gilloise claimed the Belgium Super Cup against Club Brugge, then continued his form in the Jupiler Pro League, netting just four minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 5-1 victory over Westerlo.

Glimt's pedigree on the European stage

The opponents who ended USG's UCL ambitions are no strangers to causing upsets on the continent. During the 2025/26 Champions League campaign, Bodo/Glimt caused a stir by defeating Manchester City 3-1 and Atlético Madrid 2-1 during the league phase.

They followed that by knocking out Serie A giants Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate in the knockout phase playoffs and winning the first leg of their Last 16 tie against Sporting CP 3-0. Sporting ultimately prevailed 5-3 on aggregate after forcing extra time in the second leg, bringing Glimt's run to an end.

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Despite the European disappointment, Mofokeng's early performances at Saint-Gilloise suggest the 20-year-old remains a player to watch as the Belgian league season continues.

Source: Briefly News