Nkota set to join Ettifaq after Pirates agreed to sell him

Budding winger Mohau Nkota, 20, will be competing against global superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane, among others, in the affluent Saudi Pro League next season, becoming the first SA player to ply his trade in that league in recent years.

This is after Nkota's club, Orlando Pirates, confirmed on Sunday that they had reached an agreement to sell Nkota to Ettifaq, subject to the promising winger agreeing to personal terms and passing medical tests. Ettifaq, who have big-name stars such as Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and French striker Moussa Dembélé among others on their squad roster, finished seventh in the Saudi Pro League last season.

“Orlando Pirates can confirm that an agreement has been reached for the permanent transfer of Mohau Nkota to Ettifaq Club in the Saudi Pro League. The move is subject to the 20-year-old agreeing to personal terms and passing a medical,” Pirates' statement read on Sunday.

Nkota had a brilliant debut season (2024/25), scoring 12 goals from 39 appearances for the Sea Robbers. Nkota is in Spain with the rest of Pirates squad, having a preseason camp in Marbella, where he hasn't featured in the two friendlies the side has played there against Bolton Wanderers and Pafos.

Promoted to the first team at the start of the 2024/25 campaign after a series of stellar displays with the Bucs' DStv Diski Challenge side, the Kimberley-born attacker quickly made his mark in the senior side.

He made his senior debut last October in the Carling Black Label Cup clash against Magesi, coming off the bench at halftime to replace Monnapule Saleng. From that moment on, Nkota never looked back, earning a regular place under the then-head coach Jose Riveiro, before also breaking into Bafana Bafana set-up last month.

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