Skip to content
South African Live
Menu
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Fashion
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Business
  • About us
Menu

Williams questions Nkota’s Saudi switch

Posted on July 14, 2025

‘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. 

ALSO READ: Pirates winger joins Saudi Pro League side Ettifaq

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?

ALSO READ: Chelsea boss Maresca hails ‘great triumph’ in winning Club World Cup

“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.”

Recent Posts

  • The South African mobile network operator taking on Takealot and big banks – MyBroadband
  • Beyond bandwidth: FNOs should prioritise customer service
  • Free Wi-Fi and public broadband in South Africa gets R710 million – MyBroadband
  • Major new electric car brand launching in South Africa
  • Temu counterfeit goods warning in South Africa – MyBroadband

First established in 2020 by iReport Media Group, southafricanlive.co.za has evolved to become one of the most-read websites in South Africa. Published by iReport Media Group since 2020, find out all about us right here.

We bring you the latest breaking news updates, from South Africa and the African continent. South African Live is an independent, no agenda and no bias online news disruptor that goes beyond the news and behind the headlines. We believe what sets us apart is that we deliver news differently. While we hold ourselves to the utmost journalistic integrity of being truthful, we encourage a writing style that is acerbic and conversational, when appropriate.

LATEST NEWS

  • The South African mobile network operator taking on Takealot and big banks – MyBroadband
  • Beyond bandwidth: FNOs should prioritise customer service
  • Free Wi-Fi and public broadband in South Africa gets R710 million – MyBroadband
  • Major new electric car brand launching in South Africa
  • Temu counterfeit goods warning in South Africa – MyBroadband

Menu

  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Fashion
  • Sports
  • About us
©2025 South African Live | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme