Bafana Bafana's Mohau Nkota scores on debut in Saudi Pro League for Al-Ettifaq

Mohau Nkota continued to endear himself to the Al-Ettifaq faithful after scoring on his debut in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday night.

The 20-year-old winger made an immediate impact, finding the back of the net in just the seventh minute. Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, Nkota fired through a crowded defence to beat the Al-Kholood goalkeeper with a low, powerful strike.

Captain and Player of the Match Georginio Wijnaldum later secured all three points for Al-Ettifaq by scoring the winner following Al-Kholood’s equaliser.

Nkota’s performance further solidified his seamless transition into the team, following a pre-season filled with viral moments off the pitch — most notably his popular dance clips with teammates that quickly made him a fan favourite.

“Sometimes, as a person, you need to make yourself happy wherever you go,” Nkota said in a post-match interview with the club’s media team.

“So, when you join a new team, you need to be comfortable and not be scared to be around the players. I mean, I came during pre-season, showed them what kind of person I am, and they welcomed me well. So, I thank them for being there and supporting me.”

Adding to the special night was the presence of Nkota’s management team, P Management Sport, who were in attendance for his debut — a gesture the young star deeply appreciated.

“Firstly, I would like to thank God for everything. I would like to thank my family for always being there. I would like to thank the people who are managing me for coming here to watch my first-ever game,” he said, before turning his attention to the league.

“It’s a very competitive league, so I am happy to be here. I have a very good group of people surrounding me: my teammates and the technical team. So, I would like to thank them for the opportunity. I would also like to thank Ettifaq’s fans for welcoming me into the team.”

Nkota’s dream debut was made even sweeter by his earlier inclusion in Bafana Bafana’s final squad for next month’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria in Bloemfontein.