Former Orlando Pirates winger Mohau Nkota rose to prominence in the 2024/25 season as one of the brightest young stars to emerge from the Buccaneers’ development structures.
Due to personal tribulations off the field, the goal-scoring winger Monnapule Saleng steped out of the team. In came Nkota.
The Kimberley-born striker quickly established himself under former coach Jose Riveiro, combining with fellow youngster Relebohile Mofokeng in a partnership that lit up both the Betway Premiership and the CAF stage.
MOHAU NKOTA CREDITS HIS FORMER ORLANDO PIRATES TEAMMATE RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG
By the time Nkota joined the senior side, Mofokeng had already made waves across the country. The PSL Young Player of the Year from Sharpville, Gauteng, had been through the same journey just a season earlier, and according to Nkota, he was the perfect mentor to lean on during the transition.
Speaking as a Saudi Pro League star, the 21-year-old Nkota has remembered how Mofokeng made the step-up less intimidating.
“He was one of those guys – we shared the same room in camp, so we used to talk,” Nkota told ESPN. “He helped me a lot when I arrived in the first team. He said I just need to talk and not be scared because we played together.
Nkota recalled how Mofokeng kept his confidence high by stressing the importance of freedom and self-belief. “He used to tell me: ‘Don’t be scared. Do anything you want to do. This is the first team… If you make a mistake, if you lose the ball, it’s fine, we’ll get it back. Just do your thing. Don’t be scared of these guys and what they say. Close your ears and you will see.’”
Nkota went on to score seven goals and lay five assists in his first season of 37 games. Just when he was preparing for his second season with Orlando Pirates, Nkota left the Buccaneers’ pre-season training camp in Spain to complete a move to Al Ettifaq.
Following five games in West Asia, Nkota has already grabbed a goal and two assists.
Also read: Transfer window closed – Here’s Orlando Pirates’ 36-man squad