Kamohelo Mokotjo

Kamohelo Mokotjo
Mokotjo while with Feyenoord in 2012.
Personal information
Full name Kamohelo Mokotjo[1]
Date of birth (1991-03-11) 11 March 1991
Place of birth Kutloanong Location, Odendaalsrus,
South Africa
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Brentford
Number 12
Youth career
2002–2008 SuperSport United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 SuperSport United 1 (0)
2009–2013 Feyenoord 35 (0)
2009–2010 → Excelsior (loan) 25 (1)
2013–2014 PEC Zwolle 27 (2)
2014–2017 FC Twente 97 (3)
2017– Brentford 44 (1)
National team‡
South Africa U12
South Africa U20
2011 South Africa U23
2012– South Africa 11 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:11, 18 September 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:01, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

Kamohelo Mokotjo (born 11 March 1991) is a South African professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Brentford. He came to prominence in the Netherlands with FC Twente and is a current South Africa international.

Club career

SuperSport United

A defensive midfielder, Mokotjo began his career in his native South Africa with the Supersport United academy.[2] He was promoted into the first team squad at age 16 and made one senior appearance for the club,[2] as a substitute for Shane Poggenpoel in a 1–0 defeat to Santos on 20 December 2008.[3] He was an unused substitute on three other occasions during the 2008–09 season and departed the club in August 2009.[4][5]

Feyenoord

After a successful three month trial,[2] Mokotjo transferred to Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord on 28 August 2009.[5][6] After spending the remainder of the 2009–10 season away on loan,[5] he won his maiden call into the first team squad for a Europa League play-off round second leg match versus Gent on 26 August 2010 and remained an unused substitute during the 2–0 defeat.[7] Mokotjo made his debut for the club with a start in a KNVB Cup third round shootout defeat to Roda JC Kerkrade one month later.[8] In an injury-affected 2010–11 season,[9] he made 15 appearances.[7]

Mokotjo was utilised mostly as a substitute and as a utility player by manager Ronald Koeman during the first half of the 2011–12 season,[6][10] which prompted the suggestion that he would leave the club in search of first team football.[11] Mokotjo remained at De Kuip and set up a goal in a key 4–2 De Klassieker victory over Ajax on 29 January 2012,[12] which prompted the club to award him a new two-year contract.[6] Despite suffering from another niggling injury,[13] Mokotjo finished the 2011–12 season with 22 appearances and had helped Feyenoord to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie.[7][14]

Mokotjo was largely frozen out of the first team squad during the 2012–13 season,[15] due to injuries and concerns over his rate of development.[16][17] Despite rumours that he would go out on loan or leave the club permanently during the January transfer window,[18][19] Mokotjo remained with the club throughout the season, but made just one appearance, as a 90th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory over ADO Den Haag on 16 December 2012.[7] Mokotjo departed Feyenoord in May 2013,[20] having made 38 appearances in three seasons as a first team player with the club.[7]

Excelsior (loan)

After his arrival at Feyenoord in August 2009, Mokotjo was immediately loaned to Eerste Divisie club Excelsior for the remainder of the 2009–10 season.[5] International duty meant that he had to wait until 16 October to make his debut,[21] which came as a 46th-minute substitute for Roland Bergkamp during a 3–0 win over PEC Zwolle.[22] Mokotjo scored the first senior goal of his career on 26 February 2010, in a 2–1 win over De Graafschap.[23] He made 30 appearances and scored one goal in a successful season,[7] which ended with Excelsior winning promotion to the Eredivisie through the promotion/relegation playoffs.[24] Mokotjo was named as the club's Young Player of the Year.[2]

PEC Zwolle

On 10 May 2013, Mokotjo transferred to Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle.[20] Despite some injury troubles,[25][26] he had a successful first season at the MAC³PARK Stadion, making 33 appearances, scoring two goals and winning the first silverware of his career, the KNVB Cup,[7][27] which qualified the club for the Europa League.[28] For his performances during the season, he won the club's Supporters' Player of the Year award and was nominated as one of the Eredivisie's Most Valuable Players.[29][30] Mokotjo's first appearance of the 2014–15 season turned out to be his last for the club, a 1–0 victory over Ajax in the 2014 Johan Cruyff Shield,[7] in which he set up Stef Nijland to score the Bluefingers' goal.[31] He left the club on 8 August 2014,[32] having made 34 appearances and scored two goals in just over one season at the MAC³PARK Stadion.[7]

FC Twente

On 8 August 2014, Mokotjo joined Eredivisie club FC Twente on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee (reported to be €1.5 million),[33] which was rumoured to be a club record.[32] He had a solid first season at De Grolsch Veste, making 40 appearances and scoring one goal as Twente finished in mid-table.[7] Mokotjo was again a mainstay in the team during the 2015–16 season and only missed matches for personal reasons.[34][35] Following the departure of Felipe Gutiérrez,[36] Mokotjo was named as captain for the 2016–17 season and acquired the nickname "The General" for his leadership of the young squad.[37] He made 33 appearances and scored one goal during a season in which the Tukkers would have qualified for the Eredivisie European competition playoffs,[38] had the club not been in the middle of a ban from playing in European competitions.[39] He left the club in July 2017,[40] having made 105 appearances and scored three goals during three seasons at De Grolsch Veste.[7]

Brentford

On 7 July 2017, Mokotjo moved to England to join Championship club Brentford on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee,[40] reported to be €1 million.[41] The transfer completed a two-year scouting process,[40] with previous transfer bids having failed due to work permit issues.[42][43] Despite an admission that he had found it difficult to adjust to English football,[44] Mokotjo held down a starting spot throughout the early months of the campaign and by mid-December was ready "to take it to the next level".[45][46] He scored his first goal for the club with the opener in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland on 17 February 2018 and finished the 2017–18 season with 41 appearances.[47]

International career

Mokotjo captained South Africa's U12 national team to victory at the 2003 Danone Nations Cup in France and was named as the Player of the Tournament.[48][2] He was a member of the South Africa U20 squad that competed at the 2009 U20 World Cup and he made one appearance at the tournament,[49] playing the opening 66 minutes of the team's 2–1 defeat to Ghana in the round of 16.[50] Mokotjo appeared for the U23 team during its unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[51]

Mokotjo made his senior debut for South Africa with an injury-time substitute appearance in a 2–0 friendly win over Mozambique on 11 September 2012.[52] He made four further appearances over the following three years before announcing his retirement from international football in April 2016, citing "that current circumstances are not conducive to for me to break into the Bafana line-up".[53] Mokotjo returned to the team in 2017, with a start in a 3–1 friendly win over Guinea-Bissau on 25 March 2017.[7]

Personal life

In 2010, Mokotjo revealed that in order to be a professional footballer, he moved out his family home at age 11.[2] He received Dutch citizenship in December 2016 and subsequently lost his South African citizenship,[43] but regained it in March 2017.[54]

Honours

As a player

Excelsior

PEC Zwolle

As an individual

Career statistics

As of match played 18 September 2018
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
SuperSport United 2008–09[7] South African Premier Division 1000———10
Feyenoord 2010–11[7] Eredivisie 14010—00—150
2011–12[7] 20020———220
2012–13[7] 1000—00—10
Total 35030—00—380
Excelsior (loan) 2009–10[7] Eerste Divisie 25110——4[lower-alpha 1]0301
PEC Zwolle 2013–14[7] Eredivisie 27260———332
2014–15[7] 00———1[lower-alpha 2]010
Total 27260——10342
FC Twente 2014–15[7] Eredivisie 33150—2[lower-alpha 3]0—401
2015–16[7] 31110———321
2016–17[38] 33100———331
Total 97360—20—1053
Brentford 2017–18[47] Championship 3711030——411
2018–19[55] 7 0 0 0 1 1 — — 8 1
Total 44 1 1 0 4 1 — — 49 2
Career total 22971704120502578
  1. ↑ Appearances in Eerste Divisie Promotion play-offs
  2. ↑ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  3. ↑ Appearances in Europa League

References

  1. ↑ "The Football Association – List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/07/2017 and 31/07/2017". p. 24. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Reddy, Melissa. "PressReader – Kick Off: 2014-12-01 – INSIDE THE MIND OF MOKOTJO". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Santos surprise log leaders SuperSport". Supersport Official Website. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "FEYENOORD TREKT KAMOHELO MOKOTJO AAN" (in Dutch). Feyenoord. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "South Africa's Mokotjo on the rise in Holland". BBC Sport. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "South Africa – K. Mokotjo – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "MOKOTJO DEBUTEERT IN BEKERDUEL MET RODA JC" (in Dutch). Feyenoord. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Mokotjo en Leerdam lijken tijdig fit voor derby" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". www.espnfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "Feyenoord unconcerned by Mokotjo stance". Supersport. 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "Ajax verliest in kolkende Kuip (4–2)". AD.nl. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Kortom – Fries debuut Nordfeldt, vrouw in bestuur UEFA". Voetbal International. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "Feyenoord Home Page for the 2011-2012 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  15. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "Mokotjo: 'Guyon kan verrassing van dit seizoen worden'" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  17. ↑ "'Mokotjo krijgt ruimte zich te ontwikkelen bij Feyenoord'" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  18. ↑ "Feyenoord zet Fernandez en Mokotjo in de etalage" (in Dutch). AD.nl. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "Mokotjo may go out on loan". Supersport Official Website. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  20. 1 2 "PEC Zwolle strikt Mokotjo" (in Dutch). De Volkstrant. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  21. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". www.espnfc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  22. ↑ "DEBUUT KAMOHELO BIJ WINNEND EXCELSIOR" (in Dutch). Feyenoord. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  23. ↑ "De Graafschap steviger op kop" (in Dutch). De Volkskrant. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  24. ↑ "Excelsior promoveert naar eredivisie" (in Dutch). Feyenoord. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "Uitblinkers voorlopig aan de kant bij PEC Zwolle" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  26. ↑ "Kortom – Meevaller Turan, Van Zaanen naar de VS" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  27. ↑ "Dutch Cup final: Fireworks hold up PEC Zwolle win". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  28. ↑ uefa.com. "UEFA Europa League 2014/15 - History - Zwolle – UEFA.com". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  29. 1 2 "Kamohelo Mokotjo Was Named Player Of The Season At Zwolle". www.soccerladuma.co.za. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  30. ↑ "'Speler van het jaar'-schaal voor Gutiérrez, Clasie of Mokotjo" (in Dutch). AD.nl. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  31. ↑ "PEC Zwolle wint tweede hoofdprijs in paar maanden tijd!" (in Dutch). PEC Zwolle. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  32. 1 2 "Twente haalt Mokotjo met miljoenen voor Promes" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  33. ↑ "Goal South Africa Player of the Year nominee: Kamohelo Mokotjo - Goal.com". Goal.com. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  34. ↑ "FC Twente raakt gehuurde Agyepong kwijt" (in Dutch). AD.nl. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  35. ↑ "FC Twente mist Mokotjo bij bezoek aan De Graafschap" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  36. ↑ "Niet Mokotjo, maar Thesker nieuwe captain van FC Twente". www.voetbalcentraal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  37. ↑ "Brentford FC "I know that this was the right decision for me"". Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  38. 1 2 "Games played by Kamohelo Mokotjo in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  39. ↑ "FC Twente banned from Europe for three years over transfers". BBC Sport. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  40. 1 2 3 "Brentford FC Kamo Mokotjo signs". Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  41. ↑ "Brentford close to completing £880k deal for Kamohelo Mokotjo". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  42. ↑ "Brentford weigh up move for Twente midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo". Mail Online. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  43. 1 2 www.realnet.co.uk. "Kamohelo Mokotjo explains why he took up Dutch citizenship". Kick Off. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  44. ↑ Moore, Tom (31 October 2017). "Brentford star admits it was difficult to adjust". getwestlondon. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  45. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". www.espnfc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  46. ↑ "Brentford FC "It is time to take it to the next level"". Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  47. 1 2 "Games played by Kamohelo Mokotjo in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  48. ↑ "'Tsetse Flies' in trophy feast". Daily Sun. 9 September 2003. Archived from the original on 21 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  49. ↑ "FIFA Tournaments – Players & Coaches – Kamohelo Mokotjo". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  50. ↑ "Mokotjo Kamohelo Player Profile – ESPN FC". www.espnfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  51. ↑ "South Africa U23 4–2 Libya U23: Amaglug-glug One Step Closer To London Olympic Games - Goal.com". Goal.com. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  52. ↑ "South Africa vs. Mozambique – 11 September 2012 – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  53. ↑ "Mokotjo announces 'retirement' from international football - Goal.com". Goal.com. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  54. ↑ "MEDIA STATEMENT: MINISTER GIGABA GRANTS RESUMPTION OF CITIZENSHIP TO KAMOHELO MOKOTJO | SAFA". Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  55. ↑ "Games played by Kamohelo Mokotjo in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
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