Sports
Williams questions Nkota’s Saudi switch
‘Where is he going to go after Saudi because if you send him there, there are no teams that are going to watch him,’ said Williams.
Bafana Bafana legend Mark Williams has voiced concern over Mohau Nkota’s transfer from Orlando Pirates to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, questioning the timing and long-term benefit of the move.
Pirates confirm exit
The Buccaneers confirmed the 20-year-old’s departure on Sunday, following a standout debut campaign in which he made 39 appearances and notched up 12 goal contributions.
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Nkota found the back of the net seven times across all competitions and registered five assists which were enough to earn him a move to Saudi Arabia.
Williams, who also played in the Arabic country for Al-Shabab in the twilight of his career, believes Nkota should have pursued a path through Europe rather than heading to the Middle East so early.
“At 20, that’s not the right move. If I was his agent, you don’t send a 20-year-old to Saudi. Where is he going to go after Saudi because if you send him there, there are no teams that are going to watch him,” Williams said to Phakaaathi.
“Players like him must be sent to France or Belgium where I started my career. When you’re in Belgium, then you’re sitting on the brink of European football.
“For me, (it’s hard) to say that he’s going to improve. Most teams that he will play against in Saudi are senior players because you go to Saudi when you have your last three or four years to make a lot of money.”
While financial details of the transfer remain undisclosed, clubs in the Saudi Pro League have earned a reputation for their financial muscle and willingness to spend freely in the transfer market.
Although Williams is not in favour of the youngster’s move to the lucrative Gulf league, he extended his best wishes to Nkota. The former striker believes the decision was driven more by financial gain than footballing development,
‘Nobody will see him’
“For the company, it’s good but for the player, I wouldn’t have sent him to Saudi. If the money is good then it’s a money-making move and we all know that,” he added.
“Good luck to the boy but he won’t get the world of experience there because nobody will see him. He’s also not going to get into the national team. Who’s going to go watch him play Saudi? It’s nobody. Is there Saudi TV on our radar?
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“All I’m saying is good luck to the boy but if I was his agent, I would have sent him to Europe because he’s still young. Saudi is for players like me when I was 30 years old.”