Orlando Pirates left-back Nkosikhona Ndaba has opened up on competing with Deon Hotto for a position in the starting line-up at the Sea Robbers.
Ndaba joined Pirates ahead of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season from Richards Bay FC after displaying consistent performances at the KZN side. The Newcastle-born defender completed a big transfer to Pirates after making 41 appearances across all competitions for Richards Bay, where he registered four assists.
Ndaba played for several amateur teams before joining Richards Bay’s DStv Diski Challenge side and subsequently gained promotion to the first team in the 2023/24 season.
Following his rise to prominence at Richards Bay, Ndaba caught the attention of Pirates and joined the club in July 2025 alongside Yanela Mbuthuma, who also signed from the Natal Rich Boys.
In the July transfer window, Pirates also signed players such as Sipho Mbule, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Sihle Nduli, Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Abdoulaye Mariko, Lebone Seema, and Sinoxolo Kwayiba. But the latter has already left the club to return to Chippa United on a permanent deal.
WHAT NDABA SAID ABOUT COMPETING WITH HOTTO AT PIRATES
Since arriving at Pirates, Ndaba has been sharing the responsibilities at left wing-back with veteran star Deon Hotto. The 23-year-old has featured in 13 matches across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists. On the other hand, Hotto has so far played 23 matches for Pirates this season, netting one goal and chipping in with four assists.
Ndaba has spoken out on his competition with Hotto, revealing that he learns a lot from the Namibian international.
“I’ve gained a lot of motivation since arriving at Pirates. I was told that competition for positions is very tight, so I had to adjust and learn from the things Hotto does. Listening to that advice helped me a lot,” Ndaba said.
The defender further shed light on what influenced his decision to join the Soweto giants. “What made me come to Pirates is that I saw that they are always competing for cups and always chasing the league title. So as a player, I wish to win the league and cups.”
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