Al Ettifaq's Mohau Nkota returns to Orlando Pirates on season-long loan

South Africa winger Mohau Nkota has rejoined Orlando Pirates on a season-long loan from Al Ettifaq, the Saudi Pro League club which signed him a year ago.

Nkota started well in Saudi Arabia after signing a three-year deal, but injury and family bereavements affected his progress. Notably, his father recently died.

The 21-year-old was then ruled out of Hugo Broos' squad for the FIFA World Cup due to a torn meniscus.

Kimberley-born Nkota -- an Orlando Pirates development product who is capable of playing as a striker and even featured as a fullback for Al-Ettifaq -- played 22 times in the 2025-26 season, scoring twice.

Both clubs announced the loan move on Thursday. Nkota returns to the club where he had only made his first team debut under Jose Riveiro less than a year prior to his move to Saudi Arabia. He played 39 games for Orlando Pirates in 2024-25, scoring seven goals.

The returning Nkota will now be under the tutelage of former Fulham and Morocco defender Abdeslam Ouaddou, who replaced Riveiro ahead of last season and led Pirates to their first South African Premiership title in 14 years.

Nkota had been linked with a move to Europe prior to his injury and had been one of Bafana's most in-form players during their World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring in a 3-0 win over Lesotho in September 2025 before also grabbing a goal and assist in a 3-1 friendly win over Zambia in November.

His last start for Bafana Bafana was the 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations win over Angola in South Africa's opening fixture in Morocco. He subsequently came off the bench in a 3-2 win over Zimbabwe on December 29 in his ninth and most recent cap.

Broos -- who gave Nkota his Bafana debut in June 2025 -- has been succeeded by Pitso Mosimane as national team head coach after the Belgian's contract expired following the World Cup.