Orlando Pirates reserves winger Mohau Nkota. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The promotion of Relebohile Ratomo to the Orlando Pirates senior team has motivated many of the club’s reserve team players, including Mohau Nkota, who is aiming at signing a first team contract by the end of the year.
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Ratomo, who only joined Pirates juniors last year from the School of Excellence, has been a star player for the Buccaneers‘ DStv Diski Challenge team and his performances have prompted coaches in the first team to sign him up.
Seeing how quickly Ratomo managed to impress the likes of Jose Riveiro and Mandla Ncikazi, Nkota is also hoping to be next in line and be part of the seniors in the DStv Premiership.
“We are all very proud of him, and seeing him being called up is motivation for us. And personally, I just want to achieve the same thing. I really hope that I make it into the first team and I’m going to make sure that I make it,” said the striker.
“Growing up, we all wanted to play for a big team in the country and obviously Pirates is a big. Any young player who plays football has a dream of signing for a team like Pirates. Mohau has achieved that and all of us now have to work hard to make it as well.”
Nkota is one of the key players for coach Joseph Makhanya in the DStv Diski Challenge with the team chasing the league title.
Pirates are in third place on the standings with 54 points, two points behind first place SuperSport United and second placed Cape Town City, who are on 55 and 56 points respectively.
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The Pirates juniors played to a goalless draw with Marumo Gallants this past weekend, and a win could have helped them to be closer to the championship race after SuperSport and Cape Town City also played to a draw.
With only four games left, Nkota believes Pirates stand a good chance to lift the title and they are all confident that they can do it.
“We could have won the league last season, but unfortunately, things went wrong in the last stages of the season. We want to change all of that this season and lift the trophy”
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