Al Ettifaq coach Saad Al-Shehri has delivered his verdict on Mohau Nkota’s return to the matchday squad, as the Bafana Bafana star looks to put a frustrating spell on the sidelines behind him.
The Saudi Pro League side ended a four-match winless run when they beat Brendan Rodgers’ Al Qadsiah 3-2 at home on Sunday. Nkota started the game and lasted 88 minutes on an evening he was playing on the right wing.
It was Nkota’s first official match since February 27, after he spent the entire month of March without playing competitive football. During that period, he also missed out on the Bafana Bafana squad for the back-to-back international friendly matches against Panama.
Before being frozen out, Nkota was struggling for form and was also being unusually deployed as a wing-back. Now back in action, he would be hoping for improved performances to enhance his chances of going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Bafana.
The former Orlando Pirates winger appears determined as he recently engaged former Kaizer Chiefs forward Lehlohonolo Mojoro for some extra training while in South Africa during the FIFA break. The 21-year-old returned to Saudi Arabia and immediately impressed his coach.
THE RETURN OF NKOTA, AL ETTIFAQ COACH CHARMED
“Congratulations to our fans. We delivered a special performance in many phases of the match, even before the red card. There was a strong tactical battle, but we showed our technical quality and deserved the victory,” said Al-Shehri.
“Al-Qadsiah’s second goal was something we should have avoided, and we need to deal with such situations better because they can give the opponent a psychological boost. We managed to settle the match after scoring the third goal.
“We created several chances, but the most important thing is that we secured the three points. Khaled Al-Ghannam’s strength lies on the left side, and he delivered an excellent performance. Nkota also did a great job defensively on the right side.
“All the technical choices were successful, and the players executed them well. We want to continue with this spirit, achieve more victories, and finish the league in the best possible position.”
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