Lesiba Nku’s representative, Lebogang ‘Guluva’ Mashishi, has pinpointed two primary factors that have paved the way for the attacker’s seamless transition to Sekhukhune United.
Following his departure from Stellenbosch FC, Nku joined Babina Noko during the 2026 January transfer window as the club sought to bolster its midfield options for the second half of the season.
His exit from the Cape Winelands outfit followed a difficult period where game time became scarce. Former Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker, who has since moved to Tanzanian giants Simba SC, stated that late last year someone of Nku’s calibre needed to find a club where he would play regularly, given his age.
“There is always a reason as to why one arrives at these kinds of decisions. It’s just not working for both club and player at this stage. Lesiba, at his age and with his quality, he wants to be playing a lot more than he is so that leads to frustration,” Barker told Metro FM in November last year.
As a result, both parties agreed that a fresh start was necessary. Before the negotiations to cut ties, Nku had reportedly been sidelined from senior team training and instructed to train on his own.
Since arriving at Sekhukhune, the winger has hit the ground running, featuring in six matches across all competitions and playing a total of 189 minutes in those games, mostly coming in during the second half.
The player has helped the Limpopo club reach the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, where they will face the Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford FC this evening at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium. The kick-off is set for 18:00.
‘LESIBA NKU IS A TOP TALENT’: LEBOGANG ‘GULUVA’ MASHISHI
Speaking to FARPost, Mashishi revealed that what makes life easier for Nku at Sekhukhune is his psychological well-being and the support from his familiar teammates.
“Look, first and foremost, Lesiba Nku is a top talent, and I believe most of the coaches would love to work with him. After what happened at Stellenbosch, which I wouldn’t like to go into detail about, when Sekhukhune offered him this opportunity, he obviously has to repay the faith of the chairman [Simon Malatji] with good performances,” ‘Guluva’ told FARPost.
“I would say he is in a good mental space. Basically, when you are in a good space, a player will give you what you want on the field. His good performances come naturally because he is happy and in a good space.
“He is happy to be back in Johannesburg. Another thing is that most of the players from Sekhukhune are players he knows personally. I think even adjusting to the new club and teammates was never going to be difficult because he has been friends with most of the guys in the team.
“I also had a brotherly talk with him, saying, ‘Look, your career at some point looked like it was hitting a snag when you got that big move to Mamelodi Sundowns, but whatever happened, happened’. He moved to another good club, which is Stellenbosch, and whatever happened there happened.
“So with this opportunity at Sekhukhune, ‘you need to grab it with both hands because if you don’t perform here, I doubt there will be another good club in Betway Premiership that would want to sign you, especially considering your age [29]. Right now, you should be at your peak, playing more maturely, and every decision should never be taken irrationally; it should come with maturity’.”
HOW LESIBA NKU’S MOVE TO SEKHUKHUNE UNITED CAME ABOUT
According to Mashishi, the move to Sekhukhune has been on the cards, citing that the club had been tracking the player long before his stints at Sundowns and Stellenbosch.
“Well, we have been speaking with Sekhukhune for a while. The club has always wanted the player, even before he went to Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch FC. Initially, it was Sekhukhune who came knocking first,” he added.
“So, we felt that now was the right time to actually exercise that option and bring him over to Johannesburg.”
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