Orlando Pirates have officially confirmed the re-signing of Bafana Bafana winger Mokhu Nkoto on loan from the Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq.
The Soweto-based team has brought Nkoto back after a year in Saudi Arabia. His first season abroad had mixed results, and he ultimately could not continue playing due to injury.
Last season, Nkoto played 21 league matches for Al Ettifaq, starting 16 of them. He started his spell promisingly, scoring twice in the first two months, but then failed to maintain momentum and did not score after October.
His season was complicated by international commitments and injury. Nkoto was included in the Bafana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations and participated in the tournament, but did not play after the second group stage match against Angola.
Following this, his season was interrupted by a serious knee injury, which ruled him out of the national team and ultimately dashed hopes of making it into Hugo Broos' squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nkoto's return to Pirates gives him a chance to regain his form at a club where he previously established himself as an important attacking player.
The winger's breakthrough season came in 2024/25, when he provided seven goals and five assists in 39 matches across all competitions, starting 29 of them. These statistics demonstrated his ability to provide both creativity and goal threat from the flanks—qualities that Pirates aim to reclaim.
The return is also significant given the changes in the club's attacking lineup since that breakthrough season. Pirates have already lost Relobokhile Mofokeng, who moved to Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, freeing up a spot for another young attacker who will have to take on greater responsibility.
Nkoto's familiarity with the club, combined with his previous productivity, gives coach Abdelsalam Wadee an additional option on the right flank as the Buccaneers continue their title defense.
After a difficult year abroad, this transfer is an opportunity for Nkoto to return to the environment where he first made his mark and remind Pirates and Bafana what he is capable of offering.