Nkota: ‘CAF Champions League Final Was My Biggest Dream’

Former Orlando Pirates forward Mohau Nkota has revealed his disappointment at missing out on the CAF Champions League final last season.

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Nkota was part of Jose Riveiro's team that narrowly missed out on a place in the CAF Champions League final last season.

The Buccaneers went down 3-2 on aggregate to the eventual winners, Pyramids FC, in the semi-finals, and Nkota reflected on his experiences with the Sea Robbers last season.

"For me, it's a very good feeling. Even in my first game in the CAF Champions League (a 2-1 win over CR Belouizdad), I started with a brace - I scored two goals," ESPN reported Nkota telling the Saudi Pro League Media.

"[I was] happy scoring goals, helping the team go further, further and further. Scoring that goal [against Pyramids] in the second [leg] of the semi-final - if we won that, the guys [would have] had to go to the final," the 21-year-old added.

"We wanted to go to the final. That was my biggest dream - playing in the CAF Champions League final... We didn't make it, but I was very happy and excited to play in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League," he continued.

The South African also revealed to ESPN that his experiences as a winger last season helped prepare him for the challenge of playing in the Saudi Pro League.

"The thing that prepared me, I think, was the CAF Champions League at Orlando Pirates. I think I played against strong left-backs there. They will come hard at you and won't give you space to turn in order to take them on.

"The only thing you will do is run behind them, and if you run behind them, it's big [in terms of risk]. If the ball starts coming back, they are [ahead] of you already."

After a breakout year in 2024/25, Nkota joined Al-Ettifaq ahead of the 2025/26 season, where he has two goals and three assists in 21 league games.

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