Nkota Reveals Extent of Injury, Recovery Ti…

Mohau Nkota during the Bafana Bafana v Mexico Watch Party at Play Braam in Johannesburg

Mohau Nkota has provided an update on the knee injury that brought a premature end to his season with Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq.

The former Orlando Pirates winger was speaking to journalists during a Bafana Bafana watch party organised by sponsors Castle Lager in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Thursday, as the national team kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Mexico.

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Nkota recently underwent surgery after suffering an injury that ruled him out of Al Ettifaq’s final matches of the season and also cost him a place in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad.

Providing an update on his recovery, the 21-year-old explained that he is taking a patient approach following the operation.

“An update on my injury, I’m still recovering. It’s been two weeks since I had this. I had my surgery two weeks ago. So, step by step, you know, you just have to take your time to recover well,” Nkota said.

When asked about the nature of the injury, the winger revealed that he had suffered a meniscus tear and outlined the rehabilitation process ahead of him.

“It’s a meniscus. I tore my meniscus, and then I had to repair it. They had to stitch my bone. So, it will take maybe three to five months for me to recover.”

His comments provide the first indication of both the exact nature of the injury and the expected recovery timeline, since Al Ettifaq confirmed last week that the player had undergone a successful knee operation.

The Saudi club announced at the time that the procedure had gone well, but did not disclose the nature of the injury or how long the player would be sidelined.

Nkota sustained the injury during training in May, forcing him to miss Al Ettifaq’s final three Saudi Pro League fixtures of the campaign.

The setback also ended any hopes of featuring for Bafana Bafana during the current international window.

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The injury came just as the young attacker appeared to be building momentum after a challenging first season in Saudi Arabia.

Having joined Al Ettifaq following a breakthrough campaign with Pirates, Nkota registered two goals and three assists in 21 league appearances.

Photo by Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix  

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