Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has shared his impressions of Mohau Nkota, who made his first start for the club against SuperSport United on Tuesday night.
Nkota is yet another talented young player who was recently unleashed by the Buccaneers, making his professional debut against Richards Bay three weeks ago.
He also came on in the second half against Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout Cup over the weekend.
Mohau was included in the starting lineup for the first time against Matsatsantsa and at times, came close to putting his name on the scoresheet.
Riveiro expressed his delight with the young attacker’s contribution on the day while recognising that there is still much for the player to learn.
RIVEIRO ON WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT MOHAU NKOTA’S FIRST START
“I was really happy to see Mohau on the field playing with his own personality,” said Riveiro.
“I think that everybody got an opportunity to see the player that he is, that this is Nkota the way he showed it today on the field with good things but some of the things he needs to improve.
“Obviously, it was his first 65 minutes at Orlando. It’s important to see these youngsters playing with personality, with confidence.”
Riveiro emphasised that young players such as Nkota and Relebohile Mofokeng have been afforded a valuable opportunity at Pirates, and it is their responsibility to make the most of it.
‘THE FUTURE BELONGS TO HIM’
“Like Rele [Mofokeng], the future belongs to them right now. It’s in their hands to keep the feet on the ground and take care of themselves and stay humble in order to continue learning because they still have a lot to learn in this profession,” added Riveiro.
“Now, it’s the most difficult thing to make sure that you have a long career. There’s a lot of players that managed to have the boot in Premier League.
“It’s time for them to work hard so they can keep going forward because others will do it.
“Wishing him all the best, he is a humble guy. He is a hard worker and you cannot imagine how much. Like I said, the future belongs to him.”
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