Al-Ettifaq FC coach Saad Al-Shehri was left waxing lyrical after Bafana Bafana star Mohau Nkota delivered an exceptional performance barely 24 hours after returning from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Nkota played 81 minutes on Friday night as Al-Ettifaq FC settled for a 0-0 draw with Al-Ahli Saudi at the Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium in the Saudi Pro League.
Fresh from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where he scored Bafana’s first goal in their 3-0 win over Lesotho, Nkota charmed coach Saad Al-Shehri. He arrived in Dammam on Thursday.
And for 81 minutes, the former Orlando Pirates winger was one of the protagonists for the team.
In his post-match sentiments, Al-Ettifaq FC coach Al-Shehri was buzzing about Nkota, excited that he returned to Saudi Arabia in fine fettle.
WHAT THE AL-ETTIFAQ FC COACH SAID ABOUT NKOTA
“Nkota arrived yesterday [Thursday] from his country after travelling. So he was not physically ready to play 90 full minutes, yet he made the difference. And so was the case with Calvo [Francisco] after he arrived yesterday,” he said.
“Today [Friday night], we saw Awad Dahal and Fares Al Ghamdi, players coming from the young players in Ettifaq, and they presented themselves excellently in a big match.
“In the Al Taawoun match [on Thursday, 18 September], our options will become more, especially with the return of Koka and the readiness of more physical players such as Duda, Nkota, and Calvo because they were presented with strong and difficult matches in the World Cup qualifiers.”
The 20-year-old Nkota completed the move from the PSL to Saudi Arabia in July after impressing at Pirates last season. He went on to score his first goal on his debut for the club, as they beat Al Kholood 2-1 last month.
And with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] around the corner, Nkota will be hoping to keep his rich vein of form to remain in coach, Hugo Broos‘ plans.
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