Former Orlando Pirates starlet Mohau Nkota has made a fast start to life in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Ettifaq’s decision to sign the 20-year-old looks like one that will pay off handsomely.
Nkota scored on his debut for his new club on Thursday as they beat Al-Kholood 2-1 in their league opener. As a result, they temporarily occupy first place in the Saudi Pro League with most of the other teams yet to play.
But, the question on many South African football fans is: When will Nkota come face to face with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr?
Unfortunately, Al-Ettifaq’s first league game against Al-Nassr is scheduled for December 29. If things go as planned, Nkota will not be available for selection then as he will be in Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on December 21, and runs until January 18, next year.
His first opportunity to test himself against the world’s most famous footballer will only be on April 23 next year.
But before then, Nkota will get plenty of chances to play against some of the biggest names in the sport. In a little under two weeks, he will be up against Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney as they take on Pitso Mosimane’s former club Al-Ahli Saudi.
On October 18, his team will be up against the star-studded Al-Hilal, who boast names like Darwin Núñez, Rúben Neves and João Cancelo. Fortunately for South African fans, they can follow Nkota’s progress on SportyTV, who broadcast games for free on YouTube.
For a player who was once touted as the next big thing at Pirates, Nkota now has the perfect stage to prove that his talent belongs among the world’s elite. If he can continue his blistering start in Saudi Arabia and carry that form into Bafana Bafana colours, the youngster might just write his name into South African football folklore.
IOL Sport
