19-year-old Nkota dazzles as Pirates continue perfect start

MOVE OVER RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG! Mohau Nkota is now the Orlando Pirates teen sensation. Just two days after Mofokeng turned 20 years of age, Nkota stepped up to take over the mantle in a special way.

The 19-year-old scored a first half brace that saw the Buccaneers’ continue their brilliant start to the Betway Premiership 2024/26 season with a 2-0 victory over AmaZulu to go top of the table with 15 points from five matches.

At a sparsely populated Orlando Stadium, Nkota stole the show with not only the two goals but with the fantastic runs he made to get him into scoring positions, the brilliant first touches and of course the clinical finishing.

The Pirates reserves graduate scored twice, but it could well have been double that as the 19-year-old youngster from Kimberley had two other chances but smashed the root of the upright with one and missed the target with the other.

It was a coming of age evening for Nkota who celebrated his first goal - by running straight into the arms of coach Jose Riveiro – clearly thankful that the Spaniard had faith in him. The teenager showed off his dancing moves after coolly slotting in the second with deft left-footer past Richard Ofori.

He could have completed his hat-trick before half-time after making yet another of those great runs on the right but while he impressively beat the Usuthu number one at his near side, he only succeeded in rattling the root of the upright. In the second half, Nkota had two other chances – the first coming very early on as he received a pass which he controlled superbly before smashing it inches wide.

The other was a miss he’ll probably have nightmares about as he tapped the ball wide when putting it into the gaping net appeared easier.

Do not, however, misconstrue Nkota’s rise as the latest Bucs teenage sensation to mean Mofokeng was anonymous last night. Far from it, for it was he who pulled the strings for his fellow Diski Challenge graduate to shine on the night.

Kicked hard on two occasions in the first half by Boniface Haba who incredibly only got a booking for the second offence despite both actually being red card offences, Mofokeng could have shirked out of getting involved. Instead, he seemed to be inspired as he fetched, carried and distributed the ball with aplomb – his passes finding Nkota almost at will.

It was he who gave them the ball for the second goal and again him who delivered that long ball in the second half which the kid from the Northern Cape shot wide.

Mofokeng also teed up Patrick Maswanganyi lurking on the penalty box arc but Tito shot wildly off target. He never tired of trying to make things happen for Pirates, Mofokeng seemingly eager to prove he is still the Pirates star despite Nkota’s brace.

Such is his value to the Buccaneers that the usually cool and calm Jose Riveiro protested so vehemently when the youngster got kicked that he earned a booking.

The Spaniard would not have been particularly bothered by that, at least not as much as by the injury suffered by Deano van Rooyen who had to leave the pitch prematurely.

Paseka Mako coming on for him and Deon Hotto switching to the right back position spoke to the depth in quality that Pirates have as did the three changes he made later on as Philip Ndondlo also got a rare chance to play.

It got a bit nervy at the end when Pule Ekstein pulled one back for AmaZulu, but it was a case of too little too late.

Five matches, five wins and top of the table. Pirates are surely living up to their billing as serious title contenders. And they have now given the game a new teenage sensation in Mohau Nkota.